Divided We Stand
by CGAdamW4
Summary: The Blitz Team is scattered far and wide on the six-mooned world, with dark forces working against them. Do they have any hope of getting back to Zi? Third in a series.
1. Recap

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RECAP

This is a little something for those who are jumping into my series, or those who might have forgotten a few things. If neither of those is the case for you, feel free to skip straight to chapter one.

_Divided We Stand_ is the third story in a series. The first, _Of Ligers and Organoids, _starts a few days after the royal cup ends. Bit leaves with the Liger Zero to go on a month-long break, but ends up running for his life when he accidentally releases an organoid, an ancient creature with the power to merge with a zoid. He came across it while travelling with a man named Horace- the man who found and sold the Liger Zero to the Blitz Team. A brief battle ensued when the organoid merged with Horace's Command Wolf, and Horace fled for his life- leaving Bit to deal with a creature that, according to the Liger, would stop at nothing to kill Bit and destroy the Liger itself. 

The pair managed to make it back to the Toros base, but only after running on their own for three solid weeks. The organoid, for one, did not give up. It pursued Bit and the Liger for the entire time, merging with several different Zoids in various attempts to kill them. Its final attempt was a Rev Raptor, on the very night Bit and the Liger reached the base. This, too, was beaten, with some help from the rest of the Blitz Team, and it seemed the month long struggle was over.

That illusion didn't last long. The very next day, at the Blitz Team's first battle in Class S, the organoid showed up, stealing and merging with a copy of the Zero Jager. It attacked Bit once more, but this time, he had more than last minute support from his team. The Shadowfox and the Gunsniper both engaged the organoid controlled zoid alongside the Schneider, and Leena struck hard, destroying the Jager copy, and almost killing the organoid. 

It was about then the organoid made a desperate move. It had fused with Leena's gunsniper in a last-ditch effort to save itself, and had been successful. Though Bit had wanted to kill it, he was overruled by the rest of the team. A few days later, the organoid had emerged with a telepathic bond to, ironically enough, Leena. As it turned out, the organoid respected Leena because she had shown strength by almost killing it. Leena quickly dubbed the creature 'Goldy,' and revealed it to be a female. Though Goldy had proved to a formidable ally in battle, she was harsh to anyone aside from Leena, and quickly lost interest in combat. She had asked Leena to bring her home. Leena had done her best to comply, and the end result was the Blitz Team being teleported to a strange planet- Goldy's home.

This planet of hers was highly unusual in many ways. It had six moons, a red-green sky, and a blue sun- just for starters. It was also a near total desert world, with only one ocean. But most surprising was that in addition to a huge population of organoids, there was a _human _population living side-by-side with creatures straight out of Zi's mythology. 

This was _not_ a peaceful society, however. Almost immediately after arriving on the planet, the Blitz Team came under attack by automated weapons, machines that were vaguely humanoid. While no match for the substantially more powerful zoids, they were successful in separating Bit and Jamie from the others. While the Jager and the Raynos held off the attacking units, Bit ordered the others to get to the ocean, employing the Hovercargo's never before tested water capabilities. They did, seeing there was nothing further that could be done to help them. 

Seconds later, a massive fireball erupted on shore. The Doc, Leena, and Brad assumed Bit and Jamie had died in the blast (Leena taking it especially hard), then proceeded into the ocean- minus two.

But their teammates had not been killed. Due to the high-speed nature of their zoids, both pilots escaped the blast without injury or damage. However, they were now cut off from their friends, with no way to let those on the Hovercargo know that they had survived the blast. All they could do now was try to circle the ocean, and hope to meet the others on the opposite shore. Jamie, of course, could have flown across on his own, but he refused to abandon Bit.

While Bit and Jamie started their long trek, the Hovercargo sailed on. Their journey, however, was no less easy. After a few hours at sea, they were attacked by a submarine from what Goldy said was an enemy nation. After a brief but intense underwater battle, Leena used the Hovercargo's missile launcher to destroy the sub. The carrier was clear to move on, but not without cost- the zoid hold was damaged and had begun to leak.

Things got even tougher the next day. A second vessel, a battleship this time, almost discovered the Hovercargo. With the Hovercargo damaged, and no missiles remaining after fighting the submarine anyway, the ship would have destroyed them if Brad hadn't used some clever maneuvering to hide from the pursuers. To escape, Brad opted to try and damage the ship's propellers, hoping to slow them down. While that attack was successful, he took it one step too far- knowing the risks, he fired on their guns, and ended up detonating their spare ammunition. The ship was destroyed, and Leena, furious that Brad had (in her eyes) murdered so many people, became very hard to deal with. Her anger at Brad was compounded by the guilt she felt- about leaving Bit and Jamie behind to die, and her actions destroying the sub, killing just as many people as on the battleship.

While the Hovercargo continued to struggle its way across the ocean, Bit and Jamie had stumbled across something: a society at the ocean's edge, made up of humans and organoids living side by side. Wanting to investigate, the pair stashed their zoids, and proceeded into town. However, when Bit asked a water seller if a gold organoid had been around recently, they found themselves facing involvement from the settlement's law officers. 

Bit and Jamie would probably have been taken into custody, had it not been for the arrival of another group of enemies. These new units were automated tank-like machines, about to attack the settlement. Not willing to let innocent people get hurt, as well as fearing for their own safety, the two warriors put their superior machines to work once more, easily destroying dozens of craft. Massively outclassed, the remaining tanks retreated into the northern sands. Bit and Jamie's actions, however, convinced the security chief, a man named Rand, to give the pair a chance to explain who they were. They gained his trust, and were offered shelter for the night, as well as the chance they might be able to get across the ocean. 

Unknown to any of them, Bit and Jamie had been followed for hours. A soldier from the East, named Mythraun, had taken a great interest in them since being separated from the Hovercargo. It was actually he that had ordered the units to attack in the first place. However, when they were destroyed easily, he saw his chance to fix a spotty military career, and set after them. He told no one except his organoid partner, Naruedo. They took a captured western unit, which was far superior to their own Eastern craft, in the hopes that it would prove strong enough to bring down the Jager and the Raynos. Myth and Naru, as they were nicknamed, tracked Bit and Jamie to the settlement, then lay in wait. The Eastern fighters monitored events, and planned to attack when the moment was right. 

Their opportunity presented itself the next day. A boat that delivered supplies and sometimes people to the settlement was set to arrive that day, and the two Blitz Team members planned to load their zoids on it; the captain was a friend of Rand's, and would probably be willing to help them. 

Fate, however, was not going to let them go quietly. Myth and Naru took the chance to launch an attack, planning to destroy the Raynos, then capture the Jager. They struck at the exact moment Bit had his zoid secured to the deck of the boat, drawing Jamie into combat outside the town. Jamie ended up going into Wild Eagle mode, and nearly defeated Mythraun. In the end, the human/organoid pair was forced to withdraw after Bit snapped the boat's restraints and joined the fray. Bit and Jamie returned to the town, planning on boarding the boat and crossing the ocean at last.

Meanwhile, the Hovercargo finally made landfall on the other shore. Leena, Brad, and the Doc were now within a short distance of Goldy's homeland. They immediately set off again, deploying both the Shadowfox and Gunsniper with Goldy merged. However, they hadn't gone far when they were attack yet again, this time by fighters from the West. Though they didn't know it, this portion of the Blitz team was doing battle with the same units Jamie had dealt with, though these were not stolen units. In the ensuing battle, the Hovercargo was damaged, this time in its drive section. The carrier was unable to even _attempt_ retreat.

Not about to lose her father as she thought she'd lost Jamie and Bit, Leena took a risk and worked to draw the Western fighters away. With a little prompting from Goldy, the Western fighters immediately gave up their attack on the Hovercargo and pursued the Gunsniper. 

Leena pushed her zoid as hard as she could, hoping to reach the Southern borders, where Goldy said they could get help. The organoid sent a distress call, and they did manage to make it to the borders, but just as they did, the Westerners disable the Gunsniper.

That was almost the end of both of them. It was only sheer luck that one of the South's patrols reached them in time, having received Goldy's call. They forced the Westerners away, then turned their attention to Leena. For a moment, it seemed they might take her as a prisoner, or at least keep a watch on her. However, Goldy chose that moment to reveal herself, which changed the entire attitude of their rescuers. Instead of threatening Leena, they were now bowing before her. Leena asked Goldy what was going on, but the organoid insisted they make for her home, the Southern capital. The organoid ordered the Gunsniper be salvaged for repair, and assured Leena that others would be sent back for the Doc and Brad. 

That is where our story begins now. Bit and Jamie are preparing to board a ship that they hope will take them across the ocean to their friends, who have taken them for dead. Myth and Naru are still out there, still planning to take down the Liger. Leena and Goldy are currently en route to the Southern capital, escorted by several patrol units. As for the Doc and Brad, it can only be assumed they are still where Leena left them: in the desert, with the Hovercargo immovable. If they are to have any hope of getting home to Zi, they will need to reunite with each other to start with. But with the majority of the people they trying to kill them, can they survive long enough to rejoin each other?

Let's find out. 


	2. On the ocean's shores and Arrival in the...

Myth tapped his controls. "All systems are functioning again?"

_They are,_ Naru responded. _And by using this machine's radio equipment, I have gathered some additional information about the people we fought._

"Good," Myth said, running more checks. "We need all the data we can get. What have you found out?"

_They have friends._

Myth froze. "What?"

_Apparently, these two are part of a larger group. They somehow crossed the ocean, escaped from the North twice, faced off against several Western Units like this, then crossed into the Southern Empire's territory. _

"Impressive," Myth said thoughtfully. "How many others?"

_Two fighters and a carrier. Only one fighter made it into the South, however. The other fighter and the carrier were damaged, then lost track of when the Western fighters pursued the one who reached the South._

"Two fighters managed to survive against a force of these machines." Myth exhaled heavily. "Naru, we're going to need some new tactics if we want to even stand a chance against the ones here."

_Already working on it,_ Naru informed him. _We're fortunate the boat left without them_.

"Only if we can beat them," Myth said grimly. "Do you have any ideas on how to deal with that blue one?"

_Not yet. _Naru sounded concerned. _We didn't really gain any firsthand knowledge about the way that one fights. The unit can't accurately predict what kind of weapon might be effective against it just by watching. We'd end up like last time._

"Wonderful," Myth grumbled. "Is there anything you can think of that might give us an edge?"

_One,_ the organoid replied, still sounding concerned. _If you handle piloting and the basic weapon, I can speed up the adapting program and operate whatever it comes up with independently. That might give us the edge we need._

"It's our best chance," Myth said dryly. "Get to work on it."

_Already begun, _Naru informed him. _When do you want to attack again?_

"Not until they make a move," Myth ordered. "Striking now may catch them off guard, but it would also lead to civilian casualties. I don't know about you, but I don't want any more innocent blood on my conscience."

Naru's shuddered, something more sensed than anything else. _No. Those deaths were bad enough. _He grew focused. _Fine, then. We wait for some kind of action._ The organoid seemed to grow pensive. _What do you suppose they're doing now?_

"The same thing we are," Myth said calmly. "Preparing."

* * *

Bit winced as the ground smashed into the Raynos' camera, tearing it off the wing. The image went to static, and then dark. He and Jamie were seated in Rand's office, a viewing console from the Raynos' control board sitting on the table in front of them. Most of the equipment in the cockpit was modular, so it was easy enough to pull out and replace. Bit and Jamie had opted to yank it out and watch in the office rather than Raynos' cockpit due to lack of space. They had just finished watching Jamie's battle with the attacker; Jamie said he wanted to see if he could figure out tactics by watching his own fight. Bit suspected he also wanted to see what happened, since he had been in Wild Eagle mode almost the entire time. "I guess that's it. A few seconds later, I showed up."

"Good thing you did," Jamie said. "If you hadn't, he would've killed me." He leaned back in his seat, musing. "Still, I never realized how much better I was as the Wild Eagle. He almost beat that guy."

"_You_ almost beat that guy," Bit corrected. "You _are_ the Wild Eagle, remember? If he hadn't pulled that weird flashbulb thing outta his nowhere, you _would _have beat him."

Jamie just gave a small laugh. Then his expression deepened slightly in a light frown.

"What?" Bit asked, noticing the expression. "What's wrong?"

"Bit," Jamie said slowly, "did you notice anything familiar about that thing I fought?"

"Familiar?" he asked, baffled. "In what way?"

"It looks like pictures I've seen of old Hellcats," Jamie said thoughtfully.

Bit frowned. "I've never seen one that looked like that."

"It was only the _really_ old ones," Jamie said. "Ones that were built centuries ago. They had that basic boxy shape, with the same type of silver-grey metal."

"I never heard of a Hellcat with adaptive abilities like that ones," Bit pointed out. "How do you think it did that, anyway?"

"That's not what I'm focusing on," Jamie insisted. 

"Then what is it?"

Jamie let out a deep breath. "Bit, what if we're _still on Zi?_"

Bit suddenly looked amused. "What?"

"Seriously. What if we didn't go to another planet like Goldy thought? What if we just moved through time?"

It was all Bit could do to keep from laughing. "Oh, come on! You can't seriously believe that!"

"Why not?" Jamie countered. "Why can't this be Zi?"

"Gee, where do I start?" Bit asked sarcastically. "With the red sky? The blue sun? The _six_ moons? The fact that there's no water except in one spot? There is no way this is Zi!"

"I say it could be," Jamie said firmly. "Look, our own history only goes back a few thousand years, and we only have really good records since the days of the Guylos Empire and Helic Republic. Who's to say that when the Ancient Zoidians were around, the sky _wasn't_ red? Or the planet _didn't_ have six moons?"

"Oh, come _on_!" Bit scoffed. "Even if I skip the fact that you left out the ocean, what would cause the sky to change color? Or the four extra moons to vanish?"

"We know at some point in our history, an asteroid crashed into Zi," Jamie pointed out. "That might have released an underground water source, broken up the continents, and maybe caused enough environmental changes that the sky turned blue."

"And the moons?"

"Maybe the planet got pushed far enough away that it lost its hold on all but two of them." Jamie shrugged helplessly. "I don't know for certain, Bit. I'm a tactician, not a scientist. Maybe I'm way off. But certain facts make me think this is our world."

He started ticking off points on his fingers. "One: the almost-Hellcat I fought earlier. Two: the presence of organoids. We know ancient Zi had organoids on it, thanks to the Liger and the Fury. Three, and most important: _humans_ living here." He looked hard at Bit. "These guys aren't almost human, or mostly human; they're totally human. I don't know what the odds are, but how likely do you think it is that more than one planet has the exact same life forms on it? That speak the _same language_ as us?"

"It's possible," Bit said stubbornly. "I mean, our ancestors- our _really _ancient ancestors, I mean- left one world and colonized Zi. Maybe there was another group out there that landed here."

"With organoids?" Jamie argued. "As far as _I_ know, organoids are unique to Zi."

"Jamie, nobody's seen a living organoid for so long back home, they're considered myth! Legend! Maybe they _were_ brought to Zi with the original colonists, but they died out there for some reason."

"Then why didn't they die here, if this isn't Zi?"

"I don't know!" Bit said, getting frustrated. "Maybe Zi's atmosphere was wrong for them, or maybe they just died when the asteroid hit!" He remembered something else. "And besides, didn't Goldy say her home was five stars away from ours, or something like that? Doesn't that prove it to you?"

Jamie paused. "I forgot about that." Then he shrugged. "Maybe that's just a way of measuring time travel. By watching how the stars change over time."

Bit gave an exasperated sigh and sat down. Then he gave a small snicker. "This conversation has so many 'maybes' and 'what ifs' in it, it's ridiculous." 

Jamie considered, then laughed. "Yeah, I guess it does. And when it all comes down to it, I guess it doesn't matter. We still need to get home, whenever we are."

"You mean _where_ver." 

"How about _what_ever?"

Bit opened his mouth to answer, but cut off as the door suddenly burst open. He blinked in surprise. "What's wrong, Rand?"

The security chief was standing in the door, looking furious and winded- it seemed he'd run to the headquarters as fast as he could. "It seems," he said between breaths, "that _Captain_ Danz is no longer willing to take you across the ocean."

"_What?!_"  
Rand was almost knocked flat as Bit and Jamie raced out the door, racing as fast as they could for the docked ship. He shook his head, took a weary breath, then started chasing after them. He reached the beach in seconds, arriving just in time to see Bit, Jamie, and Danz in a heated argument.

"You already said you'd take us!" Bit was yelling. "You can't back out now!"

"That was before you brought the Westerners down on my head!" Danz yelled back. "I've barely gotten _one _of your infernal machines on my boat and we're attacked! You think I'm nuts enough to try and carry you all the way across the ocean?!"

"We need your help," Jamie said, more calmly than Bit, but still heated. "If you don't take us across, the only way for us to get to the other side is going _around_ the ocean. That could take days, and our friends might be in trouble!"

"Not my problem," Danz growled.

"It might end up your problem," Rand said. "Their friends are in possession of war machines almost as powerful as these two." He motioned to the Jager and the Raynos. "Now, while they can hold back any of the nations for a time, they can't hold them back forever."

"And the North is already after them!" Jamie pleaded. "We received information that they were attacked while they were crossing the ocean; you think the north will just let them walk away?"

Danz snorted. "Oh, great. The nation with the sea force is after you. _That'll_ make me reconsider my decision not to take you."

"Look, we can handle them!" Bit shouted. "Jamie handled those two, Mythrun and Nuruodo with no- what's with you two?" he asked, suddenly sounding baffled. Rand and Danz were staring, shocked expressions on their faces. And they weren't the only ones. Everyone within earshot had frozen and turned toward the arguing party. 

Bit shifted uneasily, sensing something wrong. "What? What is it?"

"Did you say _Mythraun_ and _Naruedo_?" Rand asked incredulously.

"I guess that might've been it," Bit said uneasily. "They shouted it when they were running away, so I'm not totally sure, but that sounds about right."

"_That's it!_" Danz yelled- and now he actually sounded scared. "I am NOT taking anyone who's gotten on the bad side of Mythraun and Naruedo!"

Now Jamie looked just as confused as Bit. "You know those two?"

"_Everyone_ knows them," Rand said grimly. "It's a long story."

"And I'm not hanging around to wait for them to come back!" Danz said, sounding almost panicky. "We're shoving off in five minutes!"

"But-" Jamie started.

"I SAID NO!" Danz roared. "Now get away!" Without another word, without turning back for a second, he ran to his ship.

Bit watched him go, more confused than ever. Finally, he looked back at Rand. "Okay, give. Who're Mythraun and Naruedo?"

"I'll explain inside," Rand said grimly. "And then we can try to think of some other way to get you back to your friends."

"Let's just hope they're doing better than us," Jamie said in a worried tone.

* * *

Brad wiped his forehead and slid out from under one of the Hovercargo's engines. "Okay, doc! Try it now!" 

~Hang on!~ Toros warned. The Hovercargo shuddered and whined as its jury-rigged engines fired, sputtered, and died. From Brad's perspective, in an engine compartment just below the Zoid hold, the carrier sounded like a wounded animal trying to roar, but not succeeding.

Brad sighed dejectedly and slumped, then picked up his radio. "No good, Doc. They failed again. It doesn't look like we can get this thing moving just by shunting power to the undamaged units."

~I can see that,~ the Doc said, a little testily. ~What happened?~

"What happened is that this hulk got slammed by something just short of a charged particle cannon!" Brad said, frustrated. "Which leaves us trying to get this thing moving again with half its hover circuitry fried!" 

Toros sighed. ~Man, I miss Bit. He knows enough about engines and machinery to get this thing working.~

"Unfortunately, he's no longer with us," Brad reminded him. "Okay, let's try this again. What do you suggest this time, Doc?"

Toros was silent a moment before responding. ~Run it by me again. What exactly was damaged by the Warhounds?~

"The left hover components," Brad said, sliding under the housing once more. "Most of it's not too bad except what got hit directly; those units we'll have to totally replace once we get home."

~But that's only two of the Hover units on the under side,~ the Doc mused. ~That should still leave four units over there that work.~

"Should, but doesn't," Brad said. "From what I see, the splash damage from that shot knocked out the power cells over here; even though four of the units are fine, they can't get any power."

~And sending what they _should_ be getting to the six functioning units on the right side won't get us moving. They can't take the extra power, start to overload, and shut down,~ Toros pondered. He sighed again. ~Okay, Brad. You have any ideas?~

"You're sure we can't run these hover units directly off the power source Goldy merged with, instead of these cells?" Brad asked.

~Positive, unfortunately. The reactor on this thing powers everything else- lights, doors, the magnetic launcher, the underwater motors, and so on, but it only recharges the power cells that drive the hover units. They can't take that much direct power. And besides, there's nothing in our spare parts that could channel that kind of current anyway.~ 

Bad sighed in disgust. "So what do we do, Doc? You designed this thing, can't you think of something?"

~I'm going to check my old blueprints,~ Toros answered slowly. ~Maybe there's something in there that can help.~

"Fine," Brad said, standing. "I'll run perimeter in the Shadowfox, make sure nobody's heading our way."

~Sounds good,~ Toros replied. ~Wish me luck on this.~ The comm clicked off.

"We'll need it," Brad muttered. "I just hope Leena's doing better than us."

* * *

Leena, at that moment, was riding nervously in one of the armored jeeps that had rescued her and Goldy from the Western troops; in fact, she was sitting right next to the female soldier that had fallen to her knees in front of her. She glanced hesitantly at her. "Are you sure you can find my father and teammate okay?" she asked uneasily.

"They will be fine, Milady," the soldier said instantly. "Once found, they will also be brought to the capital city. The same will be true of your fighter."

_The zoid can be repaired once we reach the capital city,_ Goldy hissed reassuringly. _After the maintenance techs are finished, it will be just as powerful as ever. They can even fix your carrier, if your father allows it._

Leena nodded, still nervous. It wasn't just leaving the Doc and Brad behind, or her Gunsniper that was bothering her; it was the whole attitude of the people here. One second, she was treated with suspicion and dislike, and the next, everyone was bowing and scraping to her. What did it mean? She had her suspicions, of course, but she couldn't be sure. The only way to really know was to ask her friend, and the time wasn't getting any better to ask. 

A split second before Leena turned to ask Goldy, the pilot spoke up. "Approaching the capital city, my Mistress."

It took Leena second- and a slight nudge from Goldy- to realize that the soldier was speaking to _her._ "Oh, uh-"

_Just acknowledge her report, _Goldy said calmly. _It's all she expects._

"Thanks," Leena said, still confused. "How long till we actually get in?"

"Just a few more minutes, Milady," she answered, sounding anxious. "I can try to speed up, if you like."

"This is fine," Leena assured her. She looked curiously at her. "I'm just wondering, but what's you're name?"

The soldier blinked. "Mistress?"

"Your name. What do I call you?"

"I… am Illis Vespa, level twelve combatant of the Southern Empire," she said, sounding a little uneasy. "Do you wish to report to my superior, Milady?"

"What? Uh, no… I just wanted to know what to call you," Leena said. She felt so confused, it was like her brain was wrapped in fog. "Thank you, Ms. Vespa."

"No thanks are necessary," she said, sounding uncomfortable. "It has been an honor to transport the pair of you." She checked her console. "Entering the city in five minutes, Mistress."

_Come, Leena! _Goldy hissed excitedly. _Come up to the hatch! I want you to see this as we enter! _The organoid scurried up, pushing the carrier hatch open quickly. Leena followed her up, excited and nervous. She was about to get a peek at what they had traveled so far to see, suffered so much to witness. 

She just hoped her father and Brad would be able to join her soon enough. It was bad enough Bit and Jamie couldn't be there; she wanted to keep her other two comrades.

Leena climbed out of the hatch, onto the vehicle's roof… and got her first look at Goldy's city.

It was an impressive sight already, and they weren't even inside. A huge stone wall surrounded the entire city, mounted on top by stone statues of organoids. They stood far larger than life, at least fifty feet tall each, and faced all directions around the wall. Their jaws were stretched wide in a silent, challenging roar to the desert. 

The wall itself was at least a hundred feet tall, made of plain, but sturdy brown stone. It was hard to judge, but Leena guessed it was about twenty feet thick, and probably able to stand up to anything her Gunsniper could throw at it. In the center of the wall, right where they were headed, was a massive, ornately carved gate, made out of the same stone. One either side another organoid stood, facing each other this time. 

However, it was the buildings that caught her attention more than anything else. 

A dozen spires of brown stone and glass windows towered in the center of the city, forming a circle. Atop each one was a silvery metal dome, shining brilliantly in the blue-white sun. 

_Those are the Twelve,_ Goldy hissed. _They are my city's last line of defense, but they have never been needed._

Leena wanted to ask how towers were the last line of defense for a city, but Goldy was still speaking. _We're about to enter the main gate. Wait a second._ A soft trilling filled the air, just loud enough to be heard over the vehicle's engine. It sounded similar to the song Goldy had sung on the roof of the Toros base long ago, but Leena doubted this was a tribute to her ancestors. 

It took a few seconds for her notice, but suddenly she became aware that the massive stone gates were opening. The stone slabs pushed open, moved by massive stone gears, just visible at the top of the doors. They didn't open the whole way; instead, the convoy of jeeps lined up single file, Leena's in the front, and they entered a small opening in the massive barrier.

Relatively small, in any case. Up close, Leena could see the stone walls were at least double the thickness she had expected, and maybe an extra fifty feet taller. The opening in the main gate, though it barely cracked at all, was a good twenty feet wide. 

_No enemy has ever crossed these gates,_ Goldy said proudly. _They held back attackers for centuries, and once we installed the auto guns you saw earlier, they haven't even been approached in a hundred and fifty years._

"It's amazing," Leena said, staring up in awe. "How did your ancestors build it?"

_That's not important, _Goldy said dismissively. _Look ahead!_

The city stretched out before them, more brown stone buildings everywhere. While the spires- the Twelve, as Goldy had called them- were massive, stunning constructions, this area seemed small and residential. Humans moved about the tiny streets, their dress odd but not fancy. 

_This is one of the smaller communities, before we enter the heart of the city,_ Goldy said. _That's our destination, right in the middle of the Twelve. That is my home. _

"How long until we get there?" Leena asked eagerly.

_A few minutes at most. People clear the way very quickly when they hear troops coming through, _Goldy said smugly.

As they rolled on, the city started to feel much richer, much more elitist. Statues of organoids had begun to appear, smaller than the ones mounted on the wall, but still thirteen or fourteen feet tall. These were also made of stone, but they had been colored somehow, given a silver colored stone skin. Every building, she saw, was also covered in organoid carvings, all done in extraordinary detail. 

Leena turned to Goldy. "You weren't kidding. People really _do_ respect your kind around here."

_We're looked up to, yes. Ah! We've arrived!_ Goldy hissed excitedly. _We're approaching the Twelve now!_

Massive though it clearly was, it hadn't taken long to get to the center of the city. That could only be, like Goldy suggested, because everyone had heard about and gotten out of the way of the military convoy. Spanning though the city was, elaborate as the buildings were, there seemed only to be narrow walkways around most of the place. Most were barely big enough for the vehicles to squeeze through. That didn't deter the drivers, however. They pushed on through the city quickly, making for the Twelve. 

It didn't take long. Inside fifteen minutes, the stunning buildings, their silver domed tops glistening brightly, were directly in front of them. Up close, Leena could see they were rectangular, and had to be at least two hundred feet high, with the dome adding another fifty or sixty. Their surfaces, once again, were carved with ornate organoid designs as high up as she could see, and possibly higher. 

But it was the new, smaller building in the center that quickly drew her attention; at least, it was smaller in comparison to the spires. This building was at least the size of a small sports arena, with a dome reaching seventy feet at its highest point. It was clearly the most important building in the city, and from what she had seen so far, one of the biggest. The only other structures she could see that were bigger were the Twelve themselves, which stood around it like guardians. 

Most amazing of all, though, was the substance of the place. The entire building was made out of what looked like solid gold.

This building- _It looks more like a temple,_ Leena realized- gleamed with a light identical to Goldy's own skin. Its dome would probably have been worth enough on Zi to buy a dozen teams of Zoids, and must have weighed hundreds of tons. 

_Come!_ Goldy hissed excitedly. _We should go in! It's been far too long since I've been here, and my people will be anxious to see me._ She started walking towards a stone staircase, flanked by more statues of organoids. Unlike the ones on the wall, though, these were not snarling. They looked almost friendly- or at least, as friendly as Leena had ever seen an organoid. 

"Wait," Leena said, catching up to her friend. "I don't understand. What is all this? Why did those soldiers bow to you? And who do you know that would live in such a rich place?"

Goldy started to answer, but the door to the building suddenly burst open, cutting her off. Leena had a momentary impression of billowing, brightly colored robes, and loud, confused voices, before she and Goldy were suddenly surrounded by people. They were all yelling excitedly, pushing, shoving, trying to get near them. It was like being caught in a stampede of very noisy, large peacocks. 

With all the voices jabbering away, Leena couldn't really pick out what anyone was saying, but it didn't last long. Goldy, both amused and annoyed at the mess, gave a loud, sharp sound, almost like a bark. At once, everyone fell silent, then dropped to the ground in a one-kneed bow.

Goldy looked around, satisfied. _Good. I see you haven't forgotten _all _sense of propriety in my absence._

One by one, the brightly clad group rose, still keeping their heads bowed. After another moment of hesitant silence, one of the men spoke up. "M-my priestess… how have you returned to us? We were beginning to think you were lost to us forever!"

"_PRIESTESS?!"_ Leena demanded. "Goldy, what is going on?! _Who are you?!?!"_

"Hold your tongue, Infidel!" Another of the group shouted, a woman this time. "You will not speak to The High Organoid Scion that way!"

"YOU would be wise not to speak to HER that way!" Another voice broke in- the soldier, Vespa, was striding forth angrily. "She is the _Custarik_ of the High Scion!"

A new babble of confused voices broke out, shouting things Leena could barely hear or understand. While Leena couldn't pretend to understand half of it, she did know something was setting these people off- and she was part of it.

A second loud bark from Goldy silenced the crowd quickly enough, and they all returned to their standing, heads down position. She gazed at them evenly. _I want you all to stay calm. Yes, I have been away- but I have returned to you. _Then she turned and looked at Leena. _And yes, she is my _Custarik._ I have finally chosen one._

Leena stared around at the crowd of people nervously as they turned towards her. "Uh… hi," she said weakly, giving a small wave.

The circle of people instantly dropped their heads again, all murmuring something in a language Leena didn't recognize. Nervously, she leaned over to Goldy. "Are you ready to tell me what all this means? I'm tired of being left in the dark!"

Goldy let out what sounded ridiculously like a hissing laugh. _Of course, of course. Let's just go inside, and I can explain everything. After all,_ she said, still sounding highly amused, _you have to know what's going on before you can fulfil your new duties._

The organoid made a sharp rasping noise, and the circle of people raised their heads, then started to the temple. Goldy followed, looking regal and proud, her gold skin shining in the sun. Leena followed quickly, feeling very out of place in her pink and black battle outfit, and weighed down by more questions than she'd ever had in her life.

* * * 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _Thus ends chapter one of _Divided. _There will definitely be more to come, but I can't promise it'll be a week; things are getting hectic in the real world. I'll try for two or three weeks, and we'll see what happens. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you guys really make it fun to write. If you have any critiques or suggestions, feel free to add them to your reviews- you just might see it in here! Later!_


	3. Old friends, new places

* * *

"Okay," Jamie said, slumping in a seat. They were in the security headquarters once more, just a few hundred meters from the rapidly departing boat. "Let's make this short, since we need to look for a new way across the ocean. Who are Myth and Naru?"

"Their full names are Mythraun and Naruedo, and they're warriors," Rand said grimly. "Some of the best warriors on the planet, actually. The East never had a better human/organoid fighting pair."

"East?" Bit asked. "I thought Danz said they were from the west."

"He said they were _using _a Western fighter," Rand corrected. "They're _from_ the East."

"Why are they using their enemy's unit?" Jamie wondered.

"Could be any number of reasons," Rand answered. "Maybe they stole it, maybe it was a gift, maybe they defected. Whatever it was, the two most dangerous fighters we have are after _you_."

"What makes them so dangerous?" Bit said, starting to feel annoyed. "And tell us everything. I'm sick of not knowing what's going on."

"Mythraun and Naruedo were very young when they started their careers," Rand explained. "They were paired at age eight- ten _years_ younger than any other fighters."

"Paired?" Jamie asked.

Ran sighed. "I keep forgetting you don't know anything about our customs. In the East, organoids are pretty rare. Because of their advantages in combat, they're always pressed into military service. Most want that anyway- it's a rare organoid that doesn't want to fight.

"Now, keep in mind that organoids aren't pilots. They can enhance a weapon, but most can't really fight on their own if they merge with a machine. They need human partners to work alongside. They supplement the human's combat skills, and can cover any weaknesses the person might have." 

"So Mythraun was paired with this Naruedo organoid at age eight?" Bit asked.

"Yes. At a young age, both showed an unusual eagerness to get into the field, to start fighting. The Eastern recruited Mythraun, then gave him Naruedo." Rand shook his head. "They spent the next year in training. Then, before this kid even hit puberty, he was given his own unit, and sent into combat."

"And he survived?" Jamie asked, surprised.

"It's not that unusual," Bit pointed out. "How old do you think Vega is?"

"Actually, they did more than just survive," Rand said, ignoring Bit. "They _thrived._ For years, they were the heroes of the East. They destroyed more units in their first tour of duty than most soldiers do in a lifetime. Whatever unit they went up against, they defeated it. They even defeated a Western model, like the one you fought, with a basic combat unit. They fought so well, they've been nicknamed 'The Legendary Duo."

"And that's why everyone's so afraid of them?" Bit asked. 

"No," Rand said, now sounding more grim than ever. "What scares everyone is the fact that they're ruthless. They don't care about their enemies _or_ their allies. If one of their own men gets in between the Legendary Duo's target, they'll shoot through them." Rand looked at the boat, now barely a speck on the horizon. "It's no wonder Danz doesn't want to take you."

"So that leaves us… where?" Jamie grumbled. 

"Separated from our team by an ocean," Bit started, ticking off on his fingers. "Trapped on alien world, no way to get _across_ said ocean, and now, the most dangerous fighters on the planet after us."

"Not that it's a concern for you about them," Rand said, trying to sound cheerful. "You beat him once already, right?"

"True," Bit conceded. "Come on, Jamie. There's gotta be a way to get across this ocean without running around it. We just need to find it."

"And I'm looking forward to that so much," Jamie sighed. "Bit, next time we come across a murderous organoid that we have a chance to get rid of, let's do it. Then we can avoid something like this."

"Sounds good to me."

"Wait a second," Rand said, frowning. "What murderous organoid? I don't recall you saying anything about that when we discussed your world."

"Uh…" Bit racked his brain for a minute. "I guess you're right. We didn't tell you about that."

"Why did you refer to it as murderous?" Rand asked, puzzled. "All the ones I've known don't kill for no good reason; what did you do to make this one hunt you?"

"Uh…" Bit looked uneasily at Jamie, who looked back the same way. They'd avoided mentioning the Liger's situation as an Ultimate X up to now. Liger had told Bit earlier, in all probability, that the organoids here wouldn't hate him the same way Goldy had. But now that the truth was about to come out, could they be certain?

Jamie shifted. "That's not really important right now, is it? That one is nowhere around, and none of the ones in this town have tried to kill us. I think we should focus on finding another way across the ocean right now." Jamie finished and Bit held his breath.

Rand gave the both of them a very calculating look. "I have the distinct impression," he said evenly, "that you're covering something. But you're right, you haven't upset any of the organoids here, and I trust you after fending off two attacks." His expression tightened, and for just a moment, they caught a glimpse of a warrior's steel in this man. "But don't make me regret that trust, or _you_ will." Then it was gone. "Now, do either of you have any ideas for getting around the ocean, other than running the shoreline?"

"Not really," Bit admitted. "How could we? None of us ever expected anything like this."

Rand nodded, looking pensive. "I'm wondering… what is the weight tolerance of your flying unit?"

"You mean, could it carry the Liger?" Jamie questioned. "It wouldn't work. The Raynos is a high speed combat zoid, not a cargo hauler. We'd crash halfway out in the ocean, even if we had enough steel cable to support its weight."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, mulling over the situation. Bit shrugged and looked out the window, where the Jager was parked not too far away. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

_Actually, yes. _

Bit blinked in surprise. "What?"

_There is a way across the ocean that has been overlooked._ The Liger almost sounded smug it had noticed something they had missed. 

"Well? What is it?" Bit asked impatiently.

The Liger explained. And slowly, a smile began to creep over Bit's face. 

"This just might work."

* * *

Toros frowned as he poured over his old blueprints. The Hovercargo was all there, laid out before him, its abilities and limitations all marked out in his own handwriting. He hadn't glanced at these in years, since before the Blitz Team had actually been formed. Not surprising, really- despite all the battles it had seen, all the blows it had taken, nothing had seriously damaged the Hovercargo. The Doc had built it well. It was a veritable rolling fortress, able to take any number of hits on any part of its body. 

Except, it seemed, on the hover units themselves.

_Four hours and three times over these old plans, _Toros thought bitterly, _and still no way to bypass those blasted power cells. I should have packed spares._

He sighed, leaned back, and tried to collect his thoughts.

The Hovercargo had twelve motor units for ground travel. Two had been damaged beyond repair in the attack by the Warhounds, but that should have still left them ten functioning units. 

It hadn't. The blast from the Warhound lashed throughout the power system for the entire port side, annihilating the cells that ran those hover units. 

Repairing the minor damage to the engines was no problem. Finding replacement power cells _was_. They couldn't run them off the Hovercargo's fusion reactors; that was way too much power for the hover units to take. Repairing the damaged cells would take more supplies than they had, as would rigging temporary cells. That left them with a total of six working cells, all on one side. That would push them, but the carrier's left side would keep digging into the sand, damaging the carrier even further. 

The Doc sighed again, putting his face in his hands. "Stupid units," he growled. "It would have been better if they'd hit both sides with half the power. At least then we could've limped along at with partial-" he broke off. "Half the power… half to the left, half to the right…" Inspiration bursting on him like a wave, he grabbed his blueprints again, checking as fast as he could to make sure his sudden idea just _might_ work.

It would. No doubt about it.

Toros grabbed the radio. "Brad! I think I've got an idea! Keep your eyes peeled for any units a little longer, and keep them away at all costs!"

~What's up, Doc?~ Brad asked. ~Come up with something?~

"Yes, but it's going to take some time to get working," the Doc said, stripping his jacket and grabbing a toolkit. "I'm going to try and replace the power cells in the port side of the carrier with half the cells from the starboard, undamaged side."

Brad sounded confused. ~Won't that cut down on the number of functioning units on the right?~

"Yes, but it'll give us back half our mobility on the left! We can get moving under partial power!"

~Let's hope this works,~ Brad said, voice tight. He wanted this to work, but was afraid to let himself hope it would. ~How long do you think this will take?~

"I'm not sure," the Doc said. He was on the lower decks, almost to the hover units. "Twenty minutes to pull the undamaged units, five for the damaged ones, then another twenty to re-install the good ones, and finally, five or six minutes to charge the cells enough for us to move."

~So the better part of an hour,~ Brad mused. ~Should I come aboard and give you a hand?~

"No, stay out there," Toros ordered. He reached the first undamaged cell and started work. "I need you to hold off anyone that shows up."

~Let's just hope they don't show up soon,~ Brad growled. ~I don't want to find out how long I can hold off those Warhound things on my own.~

The Doc didn't want to respond, but he felt his gut clench tighter, and he tried to work faster.

_I failed Bit, Jamie, and maybe even my own daughter. Nothing can ever excuse that, but I _WON'T _fail Brad now!_

Brad, for his part, was keeping a wary eye on the desert. His scanners showed nothing, but since they were virtually useless, that was no comfort. 

He'd never felt quite as vulnerable. The once powerful team he was part of had been cut to nothing, with two dead and one missing. Somehow, it had fallen to him to protect the Hovercargo on his own, against what was starting to feel like a planet full of enemies.

"Just great," he muttered. "What's next, I wonder?" 

{-can't- levels- re- ments.} The static-filled transmission suddenly echoed over Brad's radio, so badly distorted he could hardly make it out. He frowned, toying with the receiver. Abruptly, the static cleared, and Brad was suddenly listening in on an enemy conversation.

{You're _how_ close to the Southern border?} This speaker sounded very annoyed.

{Less than three miles.} The second was just as abashed as the first was upset.

{What were you doing out there?!}

{Pursuing some very unusual units. They were headed due south, so we assumed they were an experimental project.}

{So you engaged them, damaged the carrier, then went on a dead-end chase when one of these 'mysterious units' made it to the Southern defense line.} Scorn.

{Yes, sir.} Embarrassment. 

{Then you ran out of power because you were running from the Southie's autoguns, while you _knew_ that your power packs needed time to recharge.} Further disgust.

{Yes, sir.} 

{And now you need us to bail you out.}

{Afraid so, Sir.}

A sigh from the other end. {I swear, you rookies get into more trouble… all right, I'm dispatching a warrior unit your way. It'll give you enough of a recharge to get moving again. You three return to base when it does.}

{Aye, aye, sir. But what about the units we engaged? The carrier and the other fighter are probably still there.}

Brad's stomach tightened. _Please let him not take them seriously…._

{It's worth checking out. I'll dispatch a scout with some backup, but if they don't find anything, you're in even more trouble. We'll know if there's something out there inside half an hour.}

Brad switched off their conversation, and cut down his communication signal strength until it could just barely reach the Hovercargo. He wasn't taking any chances on _them_ hearing _him_. "Doc! We've got company on the way!"

~How long?!~ 

"Thirty minutes at best," Brad shouted, "probably less. We've got to get out of here, and into the south, Doc!"

~I can't get the Hovercargo fixed in that amount of time!~ Toros moaned. ~And what I _could_ restore in a half hour won't be enough to get us anywhere fast enough!~

Brad looked at his scanners, knowing it was pointless. His thoughts were racing around, trying to come up with something- "Doc! Get out of there! We can make a run for it in my zoid!"

~What?!~ Toros said baffled. 

"You can't fix the Hovercargo in time, right? We have to abandon it! It'll be a tight squeeze in here, but we'll be able to make it to the Southern border!"

~But we can't just leave my Hovercargo!~ Toros said indignantly. ~It's got all our supplies, the extra armor units for the Liger!~  


"Bit's dead and the Liger's gone!" Brad yelled. "We don't need them!"

There was a short silence, then the Doc said angrily, ~Even if that is true, do you really want the other nations around here getting their hands on them? These people are at war, Brad! What do you think they'll do if they loot this thing and find the Panzer's guns?!~

Brad shrugged. "Strip them down, figure out how they work, and make more of them. So what? By the time that happens, we'll be back on Zi."

The Doc's disgust was clear even over the radio. ~That may not mean much to you, but I'm not about to help these people kill themselves any faster. We can't let them have these weapons.~ There was the sound of him picking up his tools again. ~I've got to get this thing running!~

"You said yourself there's no time!" Brad yelled. "We've got to go, _right now!_"

~I'm not leaving yet!~

Brad sighed. "I can't change your mind, can I?"

~No.~

"Then let's compromise. You work on it for fifteen minutes, and if it's not running, we abandon it.," Brad said.

~That doesn't solve anything!~ Toros shouted, tools still banging around.

"I hadn't finished," Brad said grimly. "Right before you get out, set the self-destruct."

What seemed like a long silence filled the air waves. Finally, the Doc said, ~All right.~ The clanging of tools and machinery resumed. ~But I'm going to do everything I can to get this thing working. I really don't want to blow it up.~

Brad didn't answer. He wanted to focus as much as he could, watching for the enemies he knew were coming. "Fox," he murmured, "we've gotta pull out _all_ the stops on this one."

_But,_ he wondered, _will even that be enough?_

* * *

Rand looked doubtful as Bit explained the Liger's plan. "You realize there's incredible risk involved."

"There'd have to be," Jamie said dryly. "Nothing's ever easy on this planet."

"And there's no way of knowing if you'd be surrounded once you got to the other side," Rand cautioned.

"We can handle it," Bit said confidently. "We've handled everything else so far."

Rand sighed and leaned back in his seat. "If you're that determined, then all that's left is to get the help of an organoid."

"Know any that'd be willing to give us an assist?" Jamie asked. 

"I'm not sure," Rand admitted. "You're asking whatever organoid goes along to take the same risks as you two, and I don't know if we can find one that's willing. The ones around here are unusual; they're tired of fighting. I'm not sure how many will put their lives on the line for strangers."

"We've got to try," Bit said firmly, standing. "And if all else fails, maybe the Liger can do it himself."

"With some luck, it won't be necessary to find that out," Rand assured him. "Come on. Let's go see if we can find a volunteer in the marketplace."

Jamie followed as Bit walked out the door, feeling uneasy. "So how do you suggest we do this? Walk up to every organoid we see and say, 'Hi, I know you don't really know us, but would you be willing to activate an ancient mode of transportation no one really understands but still uses, and, oh, by the way, end up being dragged along with us to the other side of a war zone'?"

"It's the best way I can think of," Bit said with an easy shrug. "What do you think? You take one end of town, I take the other, and we meet back here?"

Jamie stared. "You're insane, Bit. Certifiable. How can you trust these light bridges they use? No one even understands how they work!"

"I know," Bit said, "and it's not the technology I trust. Liger says this'll work, and I trust _him_." 

"I still say this is nuts," Jamie grumbled. "Who do I ask first? And do I ask the human, or the organoid he's selling stuff with?"

"Neither," someone shouted. 

They turned and saw a man striding determinedly towards them. The crowd was parted on either side, fear the only expression on their faces. A silver organoid strode alongside him, skin gleaming in the desert sunlight. The man's outfit had a professional look to it, as if it had been custom made. A patch stood out on the left arm, an organoid encircling what looked like a picture of the planet. The man himself had a blue arc tattooed over his right eye, and shortly cropped black hair. 

_Definitely a soldier_, Jamie realized, _and not one of these people. Why else would they back away from him?_

"You can ask me," the man said, stopping in front of Bit and Jamie. "Senior Lieutenant Mythraun of the Eastern Military Force. I hereby offer the assistance of myself and my organoid Naruedo to help you reach the Southern Shore."

Jamie stared in dumbstruck amazement. "You- you're the one I fought earlier!"

"I am," Mythraun confirmed. "Now, I need your help as much as you need mine."

"What?! Why?" Jamie demanded. This time, however, it was the organoid who spoke- and both Bit and Jamie could understand him.

_The East is about to kill your friends,_ Naruedo growled. _If they do, it means disaster… for everyone._

They both looked at him for a moment in silence. The entire crowd of people seemed to have lost reality, as if the four of them were standing in the middle of a thousand mannequins. Bit and Jamie had been so sure they'd be re-united with the Doc, Brad and Leena… now these two were saying that might not happen.

Finally, after what felt like a long time, Bit managed to get out a few words. "What do you mean, our friends are about to be killed?"

"Just what he said," Myth said grimly. "Naru intercepted a transmission between western troops a few minutes ago- it seems they tangled with your fellow soldiers, and it ended in a draw. They damaged your carrier, but one of your fighters escaped to the south. The other remained with the carrier, attempting to protect it. The West has dispatched several Warhounds to investigate the carrier, and they will reach your friends in approximately twenty minutes."

"With orders to kill," Jamie said grimly. 

"Correct."

"So why does that concern you?" Jamie demanded. "Why do you care if our friends die? Why risk your life telling us? The people in this town could have killed you if they worked together."

_It wasn't important_, Naru hissed. _If you are any indication, your friends have advanced weaponry, more powerful than anything a nation has built to date. If they are killed by the west, that empire will seize you machines as spoils of war. That will sound the death knell of every other nation on this planet, including our own._

"They'll start building Zoids," Jamie realized. "Leena's Gunsniper alone has enough firepower to take out anything we've seen so far. Who knows how much damage they'll do to themselves."

"_WHO CARES?!" _Bit yelled. "They're going to kill everyone!" He grabbed Jamie by the arm. "You've got to get across the ocean, now! At the Raynos' top speed, you can probably make it before the Westerners arrive, and they'll need your help!"

"Uh, Bit…" Jamie started, but Bit kept going.

"Don't worry about me! I'll find my own way around the ocean! The Blitz Team needs you more than we've ever need you right now! You've got to get over there!" Bit seemed to be flipping out completely- he looked about ready to drag Jamie to the Raynos and throw him into the cockpit, whatever Jamie was trying to say.

Fortunately, Myth still had _his_ wits. "I don't think that'll be necessary, young man. We didn't tell you this so you could lose your mind in a vain effort to fly across the ocean. We told you so you would accept our aid in using the light bridge transport system."

Bit paused. "What?"

_It's the only way you'll get across the ocean in time,_ Naru hissed, _and you know it. Your flyer might make it in time to see your friends dragged onto the sands and shot by the westerners. He would definitely make it in time to see the salvage operation underway. He'd never make it in time to save them._

"For that, you need us," Myth said firmly. "Naru can open a light bridge near to their exact location. All three of us will drop in right on top of the Westerners, and we can prevent a power shift that would prove disastrous to everyone."

"All three of us?" Jamie asked suspiciously.

_Yes, _Naru hissed. _You knew that whoever activated the light bridge would be dragged along with it, didn't you?_

"We did," Jamie admitted, "but I'm not too sure I like the idea of taking along someone who tried to kill me into combat."

"We don't have a choice," Bit said grimly. "It's more important than ever that we make it across the ocean now. And even if we could find an organoid- _aside_ from Naruedo- that would be willing to help us, we'd still be leaving a dangerous pilot near a defenseless village. I'd guess this so-called Legendary Duo would be more than willing to wipe out everyone in this town for helping us out."

Myth felt a pang of regret at Bit's words- it seemed word traveled fast, even to aliens that stumbled into refugee villages. "Perhaps," Myth said evasively. "Which leaves you no real choice but to trust me."

"Seems that way," Jamie said reluctantly. "Fine, then. Where do we go to use the light bridge?"

"Get into your units," Myth instructed. "Naru and I will meet you at the edge of town. We'll go to the light bridge from there." He did something very puzzling at that pointed, and leapt onto Naru's back. He looked back at them. "I think you'll be able to find us easily enough." Naru's back suddenly opened up, revealing several jets. They flared to life, and in seconds, both organoid and rider were out of sight.

Jamie looked uneasily at his friend. "I don't know about this, Bit. For all we know, he can transport us right into a prison cell with this light bridge."

"We don't have any choice," Bit growled. He didn't seem angry at Jamie, though- it was more directed at their situation. "He might be lying about Doc and the others, but can we really take that chance? Worse still, what if he's telling the _truth?_"

Jamie let out an uneasy breath. "I don't like _either _possibility." He smiled ruefully. "But I suppose there's ultimately no choice, is there? We've gotta do this, if for no other reason than to get him away from these people. He'll kill them if we don't."

"According to what Rand told us," Bit said. "Come on. Let's get moving."

* * *

The first unit showed up on the horizon well before he showed up on Brad's sensors. It was still several miles away, just at the edge of the Shadowfox's long range visuals. Brad keyed his radio. "Doc? They're coming."

~How many?~ 

"Just one, for now. Might be a scout."

The Doc gave an exasperated sigh. ~I'm still not far enough along with repairs. We can't go anywhere yet in this thing.~

"Wouldn't make a difference if we could," Brad said darkly. "These Warhounds are fast enough to catch us even if the Hovercargo were at full power."

~~How far away is he?~

"At best, five minutes out. How long before you can get that hulk moving?"

~Not five minutes, I can guarantee that.~ Grim resignation echoed throughout the Doc's voice. 

Brad focused his attention on the scout in the distance. "I'll see if I can buy a little more time. Keep working, Doc."

~Brad, what are you-~

He cut the radio. "Let's go, Fox!"

The Shadowfox's ghostly howl echoed throughout the desert as the black zoid raced forward. At its top speed, Brad reached the scout in less than a minute.

It had to have seen him coming- the scout Warhound had moved into an unmistakeable battle stance as the Fox neared. But it couldn't have anticipated his attack. 

Brad leapt over the enemy, jetting smoke as the he went airborne. By the time he touched down, the entire area was covered in a thick black haze. 

Not many zoid pilots could have pierced the veil of smoke in time to stop the Fox's attack- this one, with slightly less advanced sensors, had no chance. Before it could even turn itself, Brad tore into the Warhound's side, cleaving off its back mounted gattling weapon, and bounded away, his zoid glowing. Pressing his advantage, the Shadowfox landed, rotated its own weapon, and opened fire. The Vulcan gun's fire shredded the body of the Warhound, leaving it nothing more than a smoldering wreck.

Brad let out a breath he didn't realize he been holding, and hailed the Doc. "It's done. This one's down and out. I can't be certain he didn't have time to report back, though."

~Either way, time's something _we're_ running out of,~ Toros said. ~Do you see any more of them out there?~

"No," Brad said after a minute. "The Fox isn't picking anything up, and I can't- wait a second. Looks like four or five blips, waaaay out there, but heading our way fast."

~How fast?!~

"Ten, fifteen minutes," Brad said tersely. "Right on schedule with what I picked up."

~And there's five of them?~

"That's what it looks like."

Brad didn't like the abrupt silence the came over the radio. He got a very clear mental image of the Doc standing near the engines, covered in oil and grime, but looking very thoughtful. It was the type of look he'd always get right before an insane plan came to mind. "Doc, no. Whatever you're thinking of, no."

He either didn't hear Brad, or chose to ignore him- the second, most likely. ~You brought down on of those units on your own just now…~

"I got the drop on it, Doc!"

~…and the Hovercargo itself has the firepower of the Shadowfox, easy…~

"It's crippled! You can't move that thing anywhere!"

~Brad, just hear me out!~ Toros said eagerly. ~It's true I can't actually get the Hovercargo to _go_ anywhere right now, but I _could_ use the functioning units to turn it! I could use it as a rotating gun!~

"Doc, NO! They almost tore us apart before, they'll do it even easier this time! We can't stand up to them alone!" Brad was starting to get very annoyed. "It's time to abandon ship, Doc."

~That's not going to work,~ the Doc said resolutely. ~They could probably disable they Hovercargo's self destruct easily. No, we're going to have to stand and fight.~

"What makes you think they could disable it?!" Brad demanded incredulously.

~I kinda made it that way,~ the Doc answered sheepishly. ~You know, the typical big red button you push when you've got three seconds left? That one.~

"So what?" Brad demanded. "There's no reason to think they could get to the button in time anyway. They'd have no warning that it was about to explode."

~Actually, they would.~ The Doc sounded very apologetic now. ~I went for the big and flashy approach. You know, sirens, lights, the whole nine yards.~

"That still doesn't mean they could-"

~And I set the mechanism to disarm itself at the last second whether the button is pushed or not.~

Brad stared at his radio in disbelief. "Tell me you're joking."

~Afraid not.~

Brad couldn't do anything more than gape in stupefied despair. "What kind of a self destruct mechanism is that?!"

~The kind you always see in the movies,~ the Doc said, trying to sound innocent. ~I never expected to have to blow up my Hovercargo. Why would I install a self-destruct mechanism that actually worked?!~

"Great." Brad looked at the rapidly approaching Warhounds. "All right, Doc. If keeping our weapons out of these people's hands is so damned important to you, then I guess we stand and fight." 

_Let's just hope we don't get ourselves killed while we're at it._

* * *

Myth checked his receiver earpiece as another western transmission came through. He frowned. "Naru, did I just hear that correctly?"

_You did,_ the organoid confirmed from somewhere inside the Warhound. _They brought down a scout._

"Wonderful." Myth keyed his own radio, hailing the Raynos above him and the Jager directly behind. "Your friends just did something that may help us or hurt us."

~And what would that be?~ Jamie asked suspiciously.

"They brought down a scout," Myth said. "It was trying to recon their position when your remaining fighter tore it to shreds."

~That's good, though,~ Bit said. ~It keeps the westerners off their backs for a few more minutes, at least.~

"Not if that scout hadn't reported back yet," Myth said, frowning. "I can't get any information on whether or not he had."

~And even if it did, it would depend on what the scout reported,~ Jamie put in. ~It might have reported nothing on the horizon just yet, a few seconds before whoever it was crashed it. That would buy us a little more time.~

"Or it might have had the time it needed to get off a warning," Myth countered. "That would bring the Westerners down on them that much faster."

~It doesn't matter in either case!~ Bit yelled. ~Let's just hurry up and get to this light bridge site!~

~I just wish it were closer,~ Jamie lamented. ~How much further is it?~

"Six minutes travel, if you don't want to land in one of the West's bases," Myth said shortly. The light bridges that criss-crossed the planet each had to use two points, one for sending, one for receiving. Between his own knowledge of portal locations, added to the data that was stored in the Western unit, Myth and Naru had found a site that would deposit the two zoids and warhound within several miles of the Hovercargo.

They hoped. 

Despite the battle he knew they were about to head into kept most of his mind busy, Myth couldn't keep his eyes from sliding hungrily to the Jager from time to time. Its gleaming blue metal, the gold of its teeth and claws, wouldn't let him _not_ look at it. It was the most beautiful war machine he'd ever seen.

Then there was simply the way it _moved._ Fluid, graceful power bounding alongside him, effortlessly moving through the shifting sands. He could feel his own craft rocking underneath him, its movements now seeming as jerky and forced as an ancient wind-up toy. The Warhound was a joke. The Jager was _power_.

_Jealous, Myth?_ Naru's teasing voice echoed throught his mind.

"Enormously so," Myth admitted. "I've never seen such a magnificent weapon. And for the last time, don't listen to my thoughts. It's _still_ unnerving."

_For the last time, if you don't want me listening in, keep your voice down,_ Naru said irritably, most traces of jest gone. _I've told you more than once it's hard to ignore human thought. You people broadcast your thoughts like you're radio towers._

Myth sighed in passing annoyance. They both knew there was nothing either of them could do about Naru's overhearing his thoughts. If organoids in general hadn't been able to hear human's thoughts, they wouldn't have made such good co-pilots. The conversation was an old one, still tossed around for the sake of easing tension before a battle.

And the battle was about to start. His instruments showed they had reached the portal. "Stop here! This is it!"

The Jager halted instantly, while the Raynos began to fly in a wheeling pattern. ~You're sure this is?~ Bit asked anxiously.

"Positive," Myth confirmed. "Hold your positions and we'll begin the process. It shouldn't take more than two minuets to get things running."

~Make it quick,~ Jamie urged. ~By my count, we've got maybe six minutes before the west is all over our friends.~

* * *

"Get ready, Doc," Brad warned. "One minute to weapons range."

~Hovercargo weapons and shields fully charged,~ Toros responded. ~Forward guns locked on target. I should be able to damage at least one of them.~

The Shadowfox and the partially repaired Hovercargo stood in the desert sands, watching as five Warhounds closed in on their position. His and the Doc's bad luck at work, he supposed- the scout had managed to get off a warning before Brad silenced him. Thanks to that, the patrol had doubled its approach and shown up much sooner than expected. Brad and the Doc wouldn't have had time to activate the self destruct even if it _would_ work. Now they were staring down five powerful, adaptable fighting machines.

If the rest of the team was at his side, Brad knew they could defeat these weapons, despite their evolving abilities. If the numbers were different, if there were two, or possibly three, instead of five, he would bet heavily on his own skills to end this well. But with five to one odds, and, if they were honest with themselves, the Hovercargo at best a distraction, there was only one way this could end. His and the Doc's death.

It was also pointless to try and argue with the Doc, Brad could tell. Toros was dead set on preventing this technology from falling into these people's hands. If that meant he had to bring down whatever Brad couldn't with his own two hands, he _would_. 

How the Doc might plan to prevent anyone from salvaging the equipment when they were both dead was something Brad hadn't figured out.

His grim musings were cut short as the five Warhounds finally drew within scanner range- five hundred meters away. This was it. In another two or three seconds, they would open fire, and-

The Warhounds stopped dead in their tracks.

Brad blinked in surprise. They had actually stopped. Just under two hundred meters away, and they were just standing there. 

Then, shock of shocks, they hailed him. {Attention, unknown unit! Stand down and surrender immediately! If you do not, we will be forced to destroy you!}

So that was it. They wanted to try and take the Shadowfox undamaged. A destroyed machine was no good to them. 

_That_ infuriated him, like nothing else had. It was one thing if they were going to take components that the Liger wouldn't be using anymore- it was another when they wanted to take _his_ zoid from him. 

"Uh uh," he growled. "I don't care if you blow yourselves up, but _no one_ takes a warrior's zoid from him." Brad keyed his radio. "No chance! If you want my zoid, you're going have to take it over my dead body!"

And here the Warhounds seemed to hesitate. That proved Brad's suspicions. The westerners had he and the Hovercargo outnumbered and outgunned. But they didn't want to damage either of them any more than they had to. If they did, they might never get either machine back to full capacity. 

Abruptly, another piece of the puzzle fit in. Unlike he and the Doc, the Westerners didn't _know_ about the Liger Zero's armor components. The Hovercargo looked like a simple, if well armed, transporter. They were after the Shadowfox, first and foremost. Anything else was a bonus.

That line of thought was confirmed by the next hail. {This is your last warning! Any one of us is more than capable of destroying you! Stand down now, or you will killed!}

_I bet,_ Brad thought sarcastically. _You weren't expecting someone to stand up to you. Now you're not sure how to take my zoid._ An idea started to occur to him. Tightening his transmission as much as he could- he didn't want them to hear this- he hailed the Hovercargo. "Hey, Doc. I think I've got an idea. Can you keep a couple of them occupied for a few minutes?"

~Probably. Why?~  


"They want the Fox, with as little damage as possible. We know from past experience that they can't take us one on one. If you can keep some of them busy, I can deal with the others, then double back and help you out," Brad explained. 

~Sounds reasonable,~ Toros said, a trace of doubt in his voice, ~but are you sure you can take them?~

"If I do it fast, they won't have time to adapt to my weapons or tactics," Brad said. "Just keep at least two of them occupied as long as you can. I'll lead whatever you can't distract away from here, then attack when we're far enough that yours can't assist them."

~Okay,~ the Doc said. ~I'm ready to open fire whenever you give the word.~

Brad's hands tightened on the controls. "_GO!_"

The Shadowfox bounded away, pushing hard for the desert sands. "You want me, come and get me!"

The Warhounds moved to pursue, and the Doc opened fire with the Hovercargo's guns. Two escaped cleanly, one took a hit before moving after the Fox, and two were pinned down by his fire. They turned to face the carrier. {Fine, then! We'll take _you_!}

"Do your worst," Toros challenged, and reached for the trigger. 

One of the Warhounds collapsed into a smoking heap as it was suddenly hammered by fire.

{What was that?!} The other Warhound pilot whirled around in shock. {Where did that fire- ARGH!} The second fighter went down as well.

The Doc blinked in surprise, then checked to make sure he hadn't hit the trigger yet. "No, I didn't _think_ I had. So who fired?"

~Some old friends, Doc!~

Toros stared at the radio, hardly daring to believe his ears. "B-Bit?"

~It's me, Doc! Told ya we'd catch up later!~

The Doc looked out to the desert, and there it was. The Jager itself, running towards the carrier, engines at full power. Running a short distance behind him was another Warhound, but it didn't seem to be attacking- it seemed to be following. Still- "Watch it, Bit! You've got someone on your tail!"

~Oh, him? Nah, he's on our side- I think. Either way, he helped us get here, _and_ took out that one guy you winged.~ 

"Us?" The Doc's mind latched onto that one word more than anything else. "Then- Jamie's alive, too?" He could hardly dare to believe it.

~Yeah. He took off to help Brad. What's going on, Doc? We leave you alone for a few days, and you get yourself into all this trouble?~

The Doc struggled to give a small, overjoyed laugh; a much larger one was trying to burst out, among other things. "Cocky as ever. It's good to see you, Bit."

~Thanks, Doc. It's good to be back.~

* * *

"These things are _fast!_" Brad cursed. "I'm pushing the Fox harder than ever, and they're still on top of me!"

The two Warhounds were pursuing Brad viciously, thanks to a new pair of engines each of them had grown. Both were holding even with the Shadowfox, and doing everything they could to force him to stop. Even as he watched, one of them managed to get alongside him, then rotated its gattling weapon to get a lock.

"Oh, no," Brad growled. "I'm not going to down _that_ easily." He slammed the Fox's brakes, skidding his zoid to a halt, then released a dense black smoke cloud. "I _know_ you guys can't see through _this._" He activated his own scanners, and the two Warhounds, now stopped and searching blindly for him, lit up on his screen. "But at this close range, _I _can." He pressed his trigger.

The Fox's shots cut through the smoke veil and tore into the closer Warhound, reducing the machine to nothing but scrap. Brad smiled grimly. "One down, one to go. There's no way you're taking the Fox from _me._" He checked his scanners. "Now, where's the other one?"

~Already taken care of, Brad!~

Blue energy broke through the cloud of smoke, and the second Warhound collapsed, a smoking ruin. Seconds later. A green blur streaked through the haze, then raced back into the sky while the air was clearing.

Brad stared in shock, mouth half open. "Did I just see… _Jamie?_"

~It's meeee!~ Jamie sounded almost smug. ~We finally caught up with you! Come on! Bit's back at the Hovercargo now!~

"This is great!" Brad said, feeling happier than he had in a long time. "I gave you up for dead! How did you survive?!"

~We can go over that later,~ Jamie replied, looping overhead. ~Where's Leena? I can't find her in my scanners. Did you get split up?~

"In a manner of speaking," Brad said, suddenly feeling a little less cheerful. "Come on. The Doc and I will explain everything once we're back at the 'Cargo."

~_She's_ not dead, is she?~ Jamie asked anxiously.

"We lost track of her, but I doubt it," Brad answered as he wheeled the Shadowfox around. "She was trying to draw off some enemies- like the ones you just shot down- before they could take out the Hovercargo. We haven't seen her since, and that's been about…" he paused to consider, "Four, maybe five hours ago."

~I hope she's okay,~ Jamie said worriedly. ~I want our team to be whole again.~

"You and me both," Brad agreed. "You and me both."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Phew! Finished! Sorry it's a week late, but real life intervenes once more. As it stands now, I'll try for part three in about two weeks- this one should be easier, now that there's fewer distractions. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Leena's Choice and Depature from the Hov...

(_Four hours earlier, just after Leena reached Goldy's home…_)

Leena was feeling slightly overwhelmed. Since she had left the Hovercargo as bait, she had been shot down, rescued, shown the most impressive and beautiful city she had ever seen, and now, learned she had been chosen to serve as some kind of important aide to Goldy- and that was in just the first hour. It was a little much to take in so quickly.

Fortunately, Goldy realized how her friend was feeling. The organoid either saw or sensed Leena's enormous sense of confusion, and quickly barked an order to her people- _Enough! Matters of state can be put off for a short while longer; right now, take us to the Central Chamber. I must tell my _Custarik _what awaits her_.

The 'flock of peacocks,' as Leena kept thinking of them, nodded their agreement, and quickly re-directed their walking path to a new hallway, lined with huge stone pillars. It was a short walk to a plain stone door. Goldy turned to the group and barked, _Leave us. _Silently, everyone filed away. 

Goldy looked at Leena, and almost seemed to smile. _Now, let's enter the chamber and discuss the future._ She pushed a button on the floor, near the doorframe, and the door opened into the 'Central Chamber.'

The 'Central Chamber,' as Goldy had called it, was enormous. Judging from the height of the ceiling, it had to be at very center of the golden dome. It was also the single most heavily decorated room Leena had ever seen.

The floor was tile in a mosaic pattern that must have taken years, if not decades, to complete. And it didn't stop there. Every inch of the Central Chamber was decorated with mosaics, paintings, or sculptures- with the single dominating theme being organoids. 

Statues ten feet tall, with what looked like gems for eyes, stared into the Chamber from all sides of the circular room. They stood in wall niches spaced every few feet apart, separated by tiled pillars and beautiful paintings. As Leena craned her head back to look at the whole place, she realized it was ringed by different tiers, starting where she was and stretching up to just below the ceiling.

It was the massive gold dome Leena had seen. The ceiling was as high as it had looked from the outside, and as decorated as the rest of the Central Chamber. It wasn't just a plain gold dome she was looking at, however. Organoids and humans were all carved into it in a picture so intricate it made the Sistine Chapel look like a two-year-old's handiwork.

The figures themselves were all done differently. One organoid was carved directly into the gold dome, while the rest were done in tile with gem eyes. There were also humans there, painted onto the ceiling. The scene depicted what looked like organoids stepping out of the sun on its rays, walking towards humans. Most of the humans were bowing on their knees the way the soldiers in the desert had done. The only exception was one woman, who was stretching a hand out the gold carved organoid.

It would have been a beautiful piece of artwork to look at, if only for the craftsmanship. However, there was another quality that made it so breathtaking: all the organoids, tiled and the single carved one, seemed to be moving. The light from the room danced off the figures, making them look like they were alive. Even their eyes seemed to stare down into the Central Chamber. Whatever the artist had done to make them look like that, it worked very well. 

"It's beautiful," Leena said softly. 

Goldy hissed. _It took almost fifty people ten years to complete it. The rest of the works have been done other centuries by other artists._ She looked around the room. _The scene on the ceiling shows my people's arrival on this world. Everything else depicts major events since then._

"I'd like to see them," Leena said eagerly.

_You will,_ Goldy promised, _but we have much to discuss and plan for first._

"Yeah, we do have a lot to discuss," Leena said, forgetting her awe of the Central Chamber. "For starters, why didn't you tell me you rated so high around here?"

Goldy seemed to shrug. _Personal safety,_ she said casually. _I trust_ you_ completely, of course. But I was never really sure of your comrades. _

"Especially Bit," Leena recalled, then tried to stop. Thinking of her lost friends still hurt too much. Trying to forget Bit and Jamie, she looked back at Goldy. "While we're on the subject on teammates, however, what about Brad and my father?"

_Brad earned marginal trust and respect after we arrived here,_ Goldy said, misunderstanding. _Your father had my trust since he was related to you. _

"That's not what I meant!" Leena exclaimed. "They're still sitting out in the desert! We need to send someone out to get them!"

Goldy paused. _Oh, yes. I'd forgotten._

"Clearly," Leena said dryly, slightly annoyed, "but you're not the only one. I didn't think of it until now either."

_I'll send some troops out shortly, _Goldy promised. 

__

"How about now?" Leena prodded. "I'm worried about them. What if enemy reinforcements show up?"

_A valid concern, _Goldy admitted. _Very well, I'll go order some fighters out. _She walked to the door, then paused and looked back. _Feel free to examine the artwork more closely. The upper tiers show earlier history, and it runs forward as you go down._

Leena frowned. "That seems a little backwards. I mean, you start down here, and work back through history? Seems odd to me."

_It is, _Goldy conceded, _but only to us. No one else is allowed on this level without permission. They all start up there._ She motioned to the top tier, then walked out. 

Leena stood there for a minute, grasping at what Goldy had just said. "_Everyone_ else starts up there?" she murmured. "I guess that makes Goldy and me something special." She considered. "Of course _Goldy _is special; she's the leader here. But what does that make me, then?"

She shrugged, deciding to ask Goldy later. "Meanwhile, I might as well take a look at the pictures in here. The history of this planet is probably really interesting." She walked over to the ramp that started on this floor and circled its way to the ceiling, and started brushing up on her history.

There were quite a few tiers, each gently sloping up to the next, all the way to the edge of the gold ceiling. All the tiers were beautifully decorated with more the tiling and organoid statues, but it was only on the next to last floor that the historical paintings began. _Must be trying to save space,_ Leena mused. _I wonder how long it's taken to fill just these two floors?_

The first she came to had an odd date on it: _2975, Third lunar scroll, Sixth moon in cycle, 44: 20th rebirth of the Organoid High Scion._ The picture itself showed a gold organoid bursting out of what looked like a metal egg, about the size of an ostrich egg. The whole thing seemed full of joy and life, as if it had been painted with the emotions themselves.

_That's Goldy,_ Leena realized with a little surprise. _It has to be. _She smiled faintly. _How do you like that? My friend's birth was the last major event around here. _She looked at the picture a few more minutes, moved onto the next. 

This one was dated _2975, Third lunar scroll, Third moon in cycle, 22: 20th Farewell of Organoid High Scion. _This picture was much more somber, but for some reason, not truly sad. The previous Scion was also gold, but it had an aged, and very dignified appearance to it. Leena found herself wondering whether that was how the last organoid leader had really looked when it died, or if the artist had embellished at all. 

The picture showed the aged organoid standing on a podium in front of a huge crowd of people. Leena could recognize the towers Goldy had called the Twelve in the background- the picture had been painted right in front of the gold domed building she was in now. 

The organoid was surrounded on the podium by brightly robed figures, very similar in cut to the ones Leena had seen worn by the people that had greeted her and Goldy. One person stood out more than the others, though, standing right next to the organoid. It was a man, probably in his late sixties, wearing the grandest robes of everyone up on the stand. He alone was touching the organoid, a friendly hand on its neck.

Leena wondered fleetingly who he was, then found out as she moved to the next portrait.

_2950, Third lunar scroll, fourth moon in cycle, 60: 19th incarnation of High Scion chooses 6 th _Custarik. 

The portrait showed the same organoid as before, standing in front of another crowd, only looking subtly younger. A young man about Leena's age was standing next to it, waving to a massive crowd of people with an exalted grin on his face. He was also wearing the same robes as the old man in the next frame. _No,_ Leena realized as she looked closer. _It's not just the same robes. It's the same_ guy_, only- younger._ Leena stared at the portrait, then looked down at the numbers.

_2950, Third lunar scroll, Fourth moon in cycle, 60._

Then she looked at the next portrait. 

_2975, Third lunar scroll, Third moon in cycle, 22._

_Twenty-five years, _Leena thought, _if the first set of numbers _are _years. But he looks at least _fifty _years younger in the second one, not twenty-five._ She frowned, puzzled, then added that to the growing list of questions she had for Goldy. 

Leena decided she was going about this the wrong way. Learning history from the present backwards was _not_ a good way to work. Figuring that, she did her best not to look at the portraits and ran full-tilt up to the top tier. The pictures didn't stop until just below the golden domed ceiling, and they seemed to pick up immediately after the scene up there. 

The first picture was dated oddly: _0000, First lunar scroll, First moon in cycle, 01: The First Scion and _Custarik, _choosing the site for the Great Southern City._ The picture showed another gold organoid- the first ever, if Leena could guess by the date- side by side with a human woman. The pair was standing on a high dune, looking out over the desert. It was a simple enough painting, yet it made Leena feel like she was there, staring out at the endless sand with them. If she imagined hard enough, she could even see the Southern Capital- the very city she was in now- rise straight up out of the sands.

The next picture far by far the most dramatic of the lot so far: _0010, First Lunar Scroll, Second moon in cycle, 30: Attack by the East & Start of the Organoid Wars._ A massive battle raged on the canvas, with humans and organoids fighting each other viciously. Leena was surprised to see the sheer number of organoids portrayed: there had to be at least a dozen different colors and body styles fighting both alongside and against the humans. No other advanced weaponry was to be seen- the humans seemed to be relying on basic weapons, clubs and swords at best. 

It was also a little confusing; since Leena didn't know anything about this planet's history of battles, she couldn't tell which side was which. There were no uniforms on the people to help her- they seemed to be fighting in a motley collection of ragged furs- and the organoids, while more varied than anything Leena had seen so far, didn't give her much clue as to which side _they_ were on. 

Regardless of which side was which, it was clearly an intense struggle. Humans and organoids all stood frozen in one moment of eternal combat, most about to kill or be killed. Many humans were already lying on the sand, staining it with their blood. Several organoids also lay dead, also bleeding… whatever their version of blood was. Leena gave the picture one last interested look, then moved on.

The next three pictures also portrayed battles, over a three year stretch, if Leena read the dates correctly. It looked like the North attacked following the East, then the West struck, and then the East attacked again. It seemed like the South was getting hammered constantly, yet with the organoid's help, they had survived. 

Leena had to admit, the whole thing frustrated her a little. She couldn't tell who had actually _won_ the battles, just that they had happened. They were beautiful, impressive, and moving, but they weren't really informative.

_It's done,_ Goldy announced, striding back into the Chamber. _I've dispatched troops out to…_ She trailed off as she realized the ground floor was empty. _Leena? Where are you?_

"Up here!" Leena shouted, leaning over the railing and waving down.

Goldy looked up at her with some amusement. _My, you certainly enjoy your history, don't you?_

"I couldn't grasp it in reverse," Leena said with a shrug. "So you sent some people out to find them?"

_The same ones that found us,_ Goldy confirmed, walking up the ramp. _They were still here, so it seemed the logical choice._

"That's good," Leena murmured, starting down herself. "I'm really worried about them."

_It should be fine, _Goldy assured her. _I don't think they'll be found before my men get there. Now, we have a lot to go over. Shall we pick up where we left off?_

"Okay," Leena agreed. "So… just how high up _are_ you around here anyway?"

_The highest, _Goldy said smugly, reaching Leena's side. _I'm the ruler of my nation. 20th in a line of Scions, dating back three thousand years._

Leena found herself working some mental math- "You live one hundred and fifty years?!"

_Give or take a few decades, _Goldy said in an offhand manner. _Some die in battle, but not for the past thousand years. We've had relative peace since finishing our barrier wall centuries ago- the one we saw on the way in. Our security has increased steadily since building the Twelve, and our fields of automated weapons._

"What exactly do the Twelve do?" Leena asked. "How do those towers keep the city safe?"

_They're weapons,_ Goldy explained. _I've never seen them used myself- they haven't been needed in four hundred years. But according to history, half form an impenetrable energy shield around the city. The other six use high energy weapons to destroy any attackers._

"Impressive," Leena commended. "And why haven't they been needed in so long?"

_Our autogun defense line keeps everyone well away from the city,_ Goldy said. _And we're still secretly expanding. I believe that's why the Warhounds weren't shot down while they were pursuing us. The guns we saw aren't finished. No one has installed the motion sensors on those units just yet._

Leena frowned. "Isn't that a pretty big problem? What happens when they report a hole in your defenses back to their superiors?"

__

Irrelevant, Goldy said dismissively. _One of our older, fully intact defense lines would stop them long before they could reach us._

Leena raised an eyebrow. "You're pretty sure of these things, aren't you?"

_With good reason,_ the organoid replied. _The form a circle around the city one hundred miles in diameter. There isn't anything on this planet that is fast or durable enough to dodge or take all the fire they'd have to in order to reach the city._

"And even if there was, you'd have the Twelve to fall back on," Leena concluded. "I'm guessing that's why you're not worried about an air raid?"

_That, coupled with the fact that no one's ever tried, _Goldy admitted. _As it is, the only nation with an air force worth mentioning is the East. _

"But still not enough to punch through the Twelve's shields?" Leena guessed.

_Not before the were reduced to scrap by our weapons,_ Goldy said proudly. 

"It's a very impressive system," Leena said. "It's clearly served you well."

_I'm glad you approve,_ Goldy purred._ After all, you'll be helping me run this city._

Leena stared in shock, not quite believing her ears. "What?"

_It's what a _Custarik _does,_ Goldy explained. _Every organoid Scion chooses a human to help them run the city. _She snorted. _I was supposed to have picked one ten years ago, but there was no one I trusted to shoulder the burden. _She looked Leena straight in the eye. _Then I met you. You proved your strength when you defeated me, and proved your nobility when you stood up for me while I recovered. I respected you for that._

"And earning that respect makes me a good choice to help lead a city?" Leena asked incredulously. "Come one! I'm a zoid warrior! I'm not even a _lead_ zoid warrior! Okay, I _am _good," she admitted, "I _am _a good zoid warrior. And I can really slay the guys. And I'm beautiful-"

_Not to mention modest,_ Goldy quipped dryly.

"-But I don't know the first thing about leading a nation! There's a lot more to that than a zoid battle!"

_So are you rejecting my offer? _Goldy asked softly. 

Leena paced anxiously. "I don't know. It's quite an offer. I can't go either way without thinking about it."

_Fair enough, _Goldy conceded. _But look at it like this: you can back to Zi, form a new team, and fight in battles as much as you want. It's an exciting life, I grant you that. You could have a long and fruitful life like that._

Leena nodded. 

_Or,_ Goldy went on, _you could stay here with me. You could help shape a nation, maybe even end the war in our favor!_

"I could?" Leena blinked in surprise. "How?"

_We have your Gunsniper,_ Goldy pointed out. _I'm certain we could repair it, and absolutely positive we could duplicate it. Along with every other zoid I merged with._

"How could we do that?" Leena asked.

_Whenever an organoid merges with any machine at all, we retain all the designs in our memory,_ Goldy said eagerly. _After all, we're enhancing the machine from its very core, in the case of a zoid. We _need_ to be able to see how it's put together._

"I guess that makes sense," Leena mused, still walking back and forth. Then she froze in mid-pace. "Wait a second- you merged with more than just my Gunsniper…"

_About half a dozen zoids, all more powerful than anything else on this planet,_ Goldy hissed. _Think of what that could mean!_

"It would give the South quite an advantage," Leena said slowly. "We really _could_ end this war!" She seemed to shake herself. "But what about my father? And Brad? What would they do?"

_They could stay if they wished, _Goldy replied. _Your father's technical expertise would certainly be welcome. And I previously mentioned Brad's combat skills would be invaluable, especially if we construct our zoid army._

"I'm not sure he'd go for that," Leena cautioned. "He fights primarily for the money. I'm not sure how willing he'd be to get involved in an actual war. But I _might_ be able to talk my dad into it."

Goldy looked at her sharply. _Then… does that mean…_

"Yes," Leena said, ignoring the twists her stomach was doing. "I'll stay."

_Excellent!_ Goldy crowed, sounding overjoyed. _You won't regret this, Leena! Just wait, we'll end this war inside a year, and form an empire that will stretch over the entire planet!_ She paused, calming down as quickly as she'd gotten excited. _You changed your mind rather quickly, though. Why?_

Leena shrugged. "It's like you said: I can go home and fight in pointless games, or I can stay here and _use_ what I know to end a war, to really make a difference. It's more than a fair trade." She smiled faintly. "Besides, I won't have to put up with Harry Champ anymore. That in itself is almost worth it."

_Very well, _Goldy said, ignoring the last remark- she'd never met Harry anyway. _Now that it's confirmed, there's a few things to be dealt with_.

"Like what?"

_For starters, your robes,_ Goldy said.

"Robes?" Leena said, raising an eyebrow. "You mean like the ones those other people were wearing?"

_More or less,_ Goldy confirmed. _Yours are a little fancier, but it's a similar design._

"You sure I can't just get something like this?" Leena asked, motioning to the combat out fit she was wearing. "Those robes aren't really my style."

_They're traditional, _Goldy insisted. _You'll need them for your appointment ceremony._

"Appointment ceremony?" That _really_ raised Leena's eyebrows. "You mean one of the ones in the paintings? In front of every person in the city on a raised pedestal?"

Goldy let out a hiss that managed to sound like a chuckle. _I can see we have a little more to discuss._

* * *

_(Return to current time, right after Bit & Jamie return…)_

As the Doc sealed the Hovercargo door behind Jamie, he couldn't help but feel another intense surge of relief. He almost hadn't dared to believe it when Bit had shown up- it hadn't been any less miraculous when Jamie had flown in either.

The only thing dampening his spirits now was Leena's absence. But with Bit and Jamie's unexpected return, something like that didn't seem too farfetched for Leena either.

The Doc's musings were broken as Bit, Jamie, Brad, and the pilot who'd helped them walked onto the bridge. Bit grinned. "Hey, Doc. Good to finally be back aboard."

"It's great to finally have you back," the Doc said, trying to keep his voice steady, and only partially succeeding. "We've really missed you two."

"It sure looked like you could've used some help out here," Jamie said. "The Hovercargo's a mess on the outside."

"We've had a rocky trip," Brad said with a shrug. "But at least we all made it."

"You're still short one fighter, aren't you?" the local pilot asked. There was nothing mean in his tone, though- he seemed genuinely curious. "Transmissions I picked up indicated they escaped into the South."

"My daughter," the Doc confirmed, then looked at him with some suspicion. "And you are…?"

"Senior Lieutenant Mythraun of the Eastern Defense Line," the soldier said, snapping to attention with a quick salute. "I'm the one who got your friends here in time to defeat the West, and as we speak, my organoid partner Naruedo is outside, keeping an eye out for more patrols.."

"Yeah, you helped us- _after _you attacked us," Jamie grumbled. 

Toros looked sharply at Myth. "Really."

Myth gave a defeated sigh and shrugged. "A fool's errand, I've since realized. My original intent was to capture these two's fighters," he motioned to Bit and Jamie, "-but it would've been useless even if I had. I see now that building any of these machines would be useful, but would also take too long and drain my nation of too many resources. Not to mention I doubt anyone could pilot either unit."

Brad's eyebrows went up slightly. "You're that strapped for supplies and men?"

"It's been a very long, hard war," Myth said grimly. "Everything is stretched thin as it is. Reverse engineering the machines might work, but it wouldn't be effective in the long haul."

"I see," the Doc said evenly. He wasn't totally sure he trusted this man, especially if he had attack Jamie earlier. 

Bit must have caught his expression, because he spoke up. "It's okay, Doc. Liger says he's trustworthy, and he hasn't been wrong about anyone else."

"Not yet, anyway," Brad pointed out.

"The fact remains that I trust Liger's judgement," Bit said stubbornly. "_And_ Myth helped us to get here in time to deal with those fighters we chased off your backs."

"I have to confess, though, I underestimated our need here," Myth admitted. "You might've won even without our aid."

"_I_ would've," Brad said confidently. "But the Hovercargo would've been a smoldering wreck by the time we were done."

"Speaking of which," Jamie interrupted, "what _happened_ to this thing?! It's not quite a wreck yet, but it's really taken a beating since we spilt up."

"Couple of run-ins with the locals," the Doc said sourly. "One on land here, and one out in the ocean."

"Two, if you count the battleship," Brad reminded him. 

"However many it was, I'm just glad you made it," Bit said. "Now can we get Leena and go home?"

"You'll have to be careful about that," Myth said with a frown. "If she really did escape into the south, you can't get through without an escort. There's miles of autoguns between here and the city. They'd destroy this carrier. Powerful as it clearly is, I doubt it can handle all that fire."

"It's kind of a moot point anyway," the Doc said gloomily, sinking into his chair. "We still need to make repairs before can go anywhere even at partial power."

"We lost the power cells for the portside hover units," Brad explained. "Doc came up with a way to get us moving, but it'll take some time to fix."

"Might as well get started," Bit said with a shrug. "I really wanna get home. I'm tired of this place."

"Sounds good to me," the Doc agreed. "Let's head down to the engine room."

"Just give me a minute to change," Bit said.

"What difference does it make?" Jamie asked, confused. "Your clothes aren't exactly clean right now anyway; what difference will a little more grim make?"

"And this isn't an especially dirty job anyway," the Doc pointed out. "No mechanical fluids to deal with."

Bit gave a wry grin. "It's not the dirt, it's the smell. Three or four days in the desert with no climate control outside our zoids equals nasty smelling clothes." With that that, he left the bridge, presumably for his quarters. 

Discretely as possible, Jamie and Myth checked their own clothing.

Thirty minutes later, Bit and the Doc were working on hard on jury-rigging the Hovercargo's engines. Brad was keeping Myth occupied, Naru was still watching for more enemies, and Jamie, also changed, was doing laundry.

"Nothing changes," he muttered. "Even in a situation like this, I end up either cooking or cleaning. At least things are normal enough for-"

The Hovercargo's alarms suddenly flared to life, red light flooding the halls. "What the- what's going on?!"

~Jamie, you'd better get up to the bridge!~ The Doc's voice echoed over the speakers. ~See what's coming!~

"Right, Doc!" Jamie sprinted for the hall, cleaning forgotten.

It took him a very tense minute to get to the bridge, and a few more seconds to see what had raised the alarm. But he almost laughed when he saw what it was. 

"What is it?" Brad demanded, racing onto the bridge. "Who's attacking us?!"

"Is it the West again?" Myth asked, right behind him. 

"No," Jamie replied, very relieved. "I don't know who they are, but I don't think they're a threat to us." He pointed to the monitors. Rolling across the sands was a vehicle that looked very much like an armored personal carrier. "I don't even see a gun."

"You shouldn't," Myth said, sounding puzzled. "That's a Southern patrol craft. They can activate any number of the South's autoguns at will, but they have no weapons of their own." His eyes narrowed. "But in this case, they're well outside the range of those weapons."

Brad frowned, looking hard at the carrier. "So what are they risking coming out of their territory?"

Jamie looked at him uncertainly. "You think we should hail them and find out?"

Before either could answer, the transport-like vehicle decided for them. [Hovercargo! This is Southern recon unit 5B, under order to escort you to the Southern City. Please respond.]

Jamie looked uncertainly at the others. "So what do we do?"

Brad shrugged. "Respond, I guess." He switched on the comm. "Southern Unit, this is the carrier Hovercargo. We appreciate you offer to escort us into the city, but we can't move right now. Our engines are under repair."

[We were told to expect that,] the other pilot said. [We have space to take you in our own craft, and can send a team back later to complete the repairs for you.]

Brad glanced over his shoulder as Bit and the Doc walked in. "What do you think? Should we do that?"

"No," Toros said firmly. "I'm not risking that they could duplicate our technology."

"So what do we do?" Jamie asked. "They're waiting for a reply."

"I'll stay," Bit suggested. "I can finish work on the engines while you go get Leena. And besides," he added, "we wouldn't want Myth to get lonely, no would we?"

"I wouldn't even mention I'm aboard," Myth suggested. "They haven't detected my machine, we'd be hearing it. If they find out I'm here, they'll attack, no matter where your friend if or who she's with."

Brad shrugged. "That sounds reasonable." He switched on the comm again. "Transport, it's been decided three of us will go with you. One of our crew is staying to repair the engines."

[Understood,] the transport replied after a brief pause. [Are you certain, though? Your crewmate will miss the finest hospitality on the planet.]

"Right," Bit scoffed quietly. "Goldy didn't like me in Zi, how likely do you think it is she'll like me any better here?"

Myth looked curiously at Bit. _Goldy? I wonder… could it be?_

"He says thanks but no thanks," Jamie reported. "It's important we get this thing moving as soon as possible, and we'd prefer not to leave it defenseless."

[Very well,] the transport pilot agreed. [We'll pick up those that _are_ coming at the rear exit hatch.] The small craft motored around behind the Hovercargo.

The Doc turned to Bit. "You're sure, then? You don't mind us leaving you alone?"

"Nah," Bit said easily. "Like I said, Goldy hated me _out_ of her environment; what do you think she'd be like here?"

"Point taken," the Doc conceded. "Alright, you stay here and work on the carrier engines, and I guess we'll see you when we get back."

"I'll have the Hovercargo ready and waiting," Bit promised.

Brad, Jamie, and the Doc started down to meet their ride. Not surprisingly, Jamie voiced his concerns first. "Are you sure we should leave Mythraun alone with Bit? I don't trust the guy."

"Bit does," Brad pointed out. "I'd say we can trust that."

"But that only leaves one person to protect the Hovercargo if Myth _does_ try something!" Jaime insisted. "_And_ he's a trained soldier!"

"So's Bit," Brad said. "He can take Myth."

"In a zoid battle, sure," Jamie agreed, "but in a hand-to-hand situation? Bit's not trained for that! Not to mention he'd be up against a human _and_ an organoid!"

That made the Doc's footsteps pause, but only for a second. "No," he decided firmly. "This is Bit's choice to trust him. And I think it's well placed. Myth won't try anything."

"What makes you say that?" Jamie asked, totally confused. 

"It's something in Mythraun's character," Toros mused. "I think there's a professional courtesy there, an unspoken respect."

"Then there's nothing to worry about," Brad said calmly. "Now, shall we get aboard? Our ride is waiting, after all." They had reached the rear door. 

The Doc grinned. "This is it. In just a little while, our team will be back together."

"Whatever else has happened, I'm glad of that," Jamie admitted. "It means we're almost home."

"So long as we don't take another detour," Brad muttered under his breath.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _End of this chapter! So Leena has decided to stay behind on with Goldy… what does this mean for the Blitz team? What does this mean for the war torn, six-mooned world? Is a new golden age for the South about to begin? And can Myth really be trusted on the Hovercargo with no one to protect it but Bit? Be back in two weeks for the answers, and Myth's past finally comes to light!_


	5. Tales from the Engine room and Hidden Pl...

Bit watched the carrier pull away with some misgivings. "I hope they'll be safe, wherever they're going."

"They should be," Myth said calmly. "If 'Goldy' is who I think she is, they'll be treated quite well indeed." He looked at Bit. "And it was also a good idea you didn't go."

Bit frowned slowly, but said nothing, staring out at the retreating craft.

"So?" Myth asked a moment later, slightly impatient. "Are you going to confirm or deny my suspicions, or just stand there?"

"Neither," Bit said finally. "I'm going to go fix the engines." He started for the door. "If you want to help, and maybe answer a few of my own questions, I'll be glad to answer yours."

Myth shrugged and started after Bit. "Sounds fair, but I can't promise how much help I'll be with your engines. Besides, didn't your leader say he didn't want anyone working on the engines aside from one of you?"

"Only if we can't keep watch over their shoulder. Besides, switching out the power cells is a simple enough job," Bit assured him. "It's mainly just plug and pull, with a little caution to make sure you don't electrocute yourself."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Myth said dryly. "It'd be a shame to die by a simple accident."

"Especially after all the battles you've been through?" Bit prompted.

A faint expression of disgust crossed Myth's face. "So how much have you heard about my glorious career?"

"I've _heard_ plenty," Bit replied, only slightly bending the truth. "How much is accurate is what I'd like to find out. Here, it's this way." He stopped in the hall and pulled open a door. It opened into a moderately sized chamber, wide enough for two people to work comfortably in. Lining each wall were six circular objects, about fifteen inches across. Wires ran into slots holding them, then off into the floor. 

"I'm guessing those are the cells we need to change?" Myth hazarded.

"Yep," Bit said. "The Doc and I already prepped the first one. All we need to do is pull the good cell from its socket, and replace the dead one."

"Sounds easy enough," Myth sad, cracking his knuckles. "Where do we start?"

"You start by removing the first dead cell," Bit told him. "Just pull the wires wherever they're connected to the plate. There's no power running into those, so it's safe enough."

"Understood," Myth said. "What about you?"

"I'm working on the live ones," Bit said, a trifle nervously. "But as long as I'm careful, there's no real risk."

"Then I suppose we get started."

It was simple enough work. The ease of Myth's task made up for his lack of knowledge abut the Hovercargo, and Bit's only concern was to not touch the end of the wires with his bare hand.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Bit said about five minutes into the work. 

"Go ahead," Myth replied, "but I want to ask you something in return."

"Sounds fair," Bit agreed. "Okay, here's the thing. From the rumors I've heard, you're the best pilot around."

"That's what they say," Myth said guardedly- he didn't want to give anything away yet, even thought he suspected it was already too late. "What of it?"

"They also say you're ruthless. That you'll cut down anyone to win a fight, enemy or ally alike."

So it _was_ too late. "Yes, they do say that," Myth sighed.

"Why?"

The simple question caught Myth off-guard. "What?"

"Liger said we could trust you," Bit said. "I asked him while we were heading for the light bridge portal." He frowned in concentration. "The thing is, Liger's not stupid. He _knows_ when it's okay to trust someone, and he's never wrong. So why do you have such a vicious reputation?"

"Partially because it's propaganda, spun by my nation, as well at the others. And partially," he went on, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, "because it appears true. About two years ago, I was directly responsible for the deaths of more people than I like to think about, all at once."

Bit paused his work and looked over his shoulder at Myth. "You killed-"

"Yes," Myth said harshly. "I killed a lot of people, all in one fast moment. But not intentionally. The whole thing was a stupid mission that went bad from word go."

"What happened?" Bit asked, almost dreading the answer. 

He didn't get one yet. "I'll answer after you answer one of mine," Myth countered. "How old are you?"

Bit blinked in surprise. "What? Why do you want to know that?"

"Humor me."

"I'll be seventeen in a few months," Bit said, still confused. 

"So young," Myth said sadly, "and already in a war. You have my sympathies."

"I'm not at war," Bit said, smiling a little as he worked. "That's actually the second time someone's thought that, though."

Now it was Myth's turn to be confused. "But- your machine-"

"It's for competition," Bit explained. "I'm basically a prizefighter, not a soldier. Although," he admitted, "there have been a few times my life was at risk."

"Then- your machine is for _games_?!" Myth demanded, staring at Bit.

"You can ask me that next time," Bit said evenly, the smile fading. "Answer mine from before. What was the mission that went so bad?"

Myth's face darkened. "It's not a pleasant story. You sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes," Bit said resolutely. "Tell me."

"Very well," Myth said, still not sounding quite convinced. "Like I said, it was two years ago. I was taking a rookie squadron out for a few training exercises when we picked up a western force, a dozen strong.

"That in itself was unusual. The western fighters are so powerful, they rarely send out even _half_ that number for an attack."

"So you moved to engage?" Bit asked.

"We did _nothing_ of the sort," Myth said sharply. "Eleven rookies and me versus twelve western fighters? They wouldn't have lasted five seconds, and I would have gone down before I could finish all of them, especially considering the units we were using."

"Which were…?" Bit prompted.

"I believe you're familiar with them," Myth said dryly. "Manned versions of the craft you destroyed on the beach. We call them Mediozaks."

"Oh, yeah," Bit said darkly. "I don't remember them too fondly, though."

"Nor would I expect you would," Myth said, just barely masking his sarcasm. "In any case, we retreated. It was the _west_ that chose to push the issue. They pursued us all thirty miles back to our base, snapping at our heels the entire time."

"And that's when everything went really bad?" Bit guessed. 

"The start of it," Myth confirmed. "Base defenses were activated, but they weren't enough to stop the Warhounds. And any veteran fighters were dispersed on patrol, or still berthed in the hangars. As for air units, we had sent out all our fighters on recon just a short time ago. They wouldn't be back for a while even after we called them."

"Right, I forgot you guys had the air force," Bit recalled. "So it was up to you and a squadron of rookies," he went on, with a sinking feeling. "How bad did it start?"

"Bad," Myth growled. "I can still see it like I'm there. The Warhounds crippled three units on the base gates themselves, taking them out of the fight before they even had a chance to try and fight.

"The rest of the trainees tried as hard as the could. They gave everything they had and more. But the west's fighters were seasoned warriors, and they had much more powerful units to rely on. We never had a chance."

"That doesn't sound like your fault," Bit said. "Tragic, yes, but not your fault."

"I haven't finished," Myth said grimly. "As trainer of the group, I tried to think of some way to use what little skills those rookies had. The best I could come up with was putting their backs to the base wall and force the Warhounds to come at their guns head on. I circled around behind the group and tried to keep them pinned between us."

Bit frowned. "From what I know about tactics, I figured you'd need more than just you to keep them caught between you."

"I did," Myth said bitterly. "But either they overlooked that, or they simply ignored it. In any case, they resorted to adapting their Warhounds to fire heavy weapons."

Bit felt his blood run cold. "And with the rookies' backs to the wall the way they were-"

"The heavy fire carved right through them," Myth snarled. His hand shook with barely suppressed rage as he worked on the cell. "I failed to take into account the Warhound's adaptive nature, and eight young men paid the price for it."

Bit found he could imagine the whole thing better than he liked. Holding in a shudder, he asked, "But somehow I get the sense it didn't end there."

"No," Myth sighed. "It got worse." His eyes dimmed as he put himself back into the battle. "The west was ready to call it quits; after all, they'd just taken out eleven pilots, machines, and organoids. But _our_ military wasn't finished.

"Three fighter aircraft finally showed up at that point, and they were just as furious as I was. On my orders, they didn't bomb the Warhounds out of existence. Instead, I ordered the gates to open, and ordered the flyers to drive them into our base. It was my plan to capture the units and use them for our own ends."

Bit cringed. "Except it didn't go according to plan, did it?"

"What plan?" Myth asked hollowly. "I was angry and improvising- not a good combination.

"The Warhounds resisted capture harder than I thought. Even when the flyers started to have doubts about a capture, I ordered them on. I was bent on making them pay in the most humiliating way I could. 

"Despite all the risks and close calls, we managed to force them to a point of no return- too tight for them to fight out, no chance for us to back off. Like the cocky fool I was, I ordered them to surrender. 

"They responded to my order by self-destructing."

"They _what_?"

"Committed suicide," Myth confirmed angrily. "Overloaded their power cores and destroyed every one of their units, rather than be taken prisoner." His eyes darkened further. "Once it became clear I was going to let them escape, they probably figured it was their best option."

"And it worked," Bit said darkly.

"Better than even they could have hoped, I imagine," Myth set the detached cell down, eyes seeing nothing but war. "Their explosions ruptured the base fuel tanks, which caused secondary fires and explosions all over the base. Damage control never had a chance or a prayer of regaining control. Inside a few minutes, the fires dealt the final blow: they detonated the ammunition stores.

"The fire and explosions killed everyone, even the three air pilots. The smoke obscured their vision, and they ended up crashing. I only survived because Naru bailed out of the Mediozak and took me with him." He let out a shaky breath and plopped onto the deck. "We were found an hour later by one of our investigation planes. Naru and I were the only survivors."

Bit swallowed, noticing his mouth felt very dry. "So that's how the rumors got started."

"Yes," Myth said distastefully. "Only I didn't find out about them right away. The blame for a lost base had to go to someone, and since Naru and I were the only survivors, we were named. And since trying to capture the Warhound was my idea in the first place, it _was_ my fault." He smiled mirthlessly. "The only reason Naru and I aren't rotting in some brig is because of our previous combat record."

"Then not everything I heard is an exaggeration," Bit said. "You really are the best pilot on the world." He paused. "Is it also true you were drafted at eight years old?"

"Thirteen," Myth corrected, "but I was still one of the younger pilots. The East decided it couldn't miss out on a pilot that showed such promise at such an early age. But despite my innate skills, and my later successes, I did not go unpunished for causing the destruction of a base. I was demoted and re-assigned to a dead silent listening post." He snorted. "The rumors I heard from the front line were even crazier than the ones you heard. People on all sides of the war were saying I had been pulled from active duty because of my bloodlust." He smirked a little. "My personal favorite was the one where they said doctors had been forced to brainwash me to calm me down, and that I had lost my combat edge because of it."

"Soldiers love to gossip, huh?" Bit asked lightly.

"The ones here do," Myth admitted. "Even to soldiers in other nations. On the battlefield, we kill each other mercilessly. In the taverns, we might as well be one united under one flag." He sighed. "I didn't see any of it first hand. I was stuck at that listening post, and thought I'd be there until the end of time."

"And then we showed up?" Bit guessed. 

"Close. About a week before you arrived, I actually managed to capture a western fighter- the same one parked aboard the Hovercargo." A grimly satisfied expression crossed his face. "It was the best thing to happen since the disaster at the base. I actually had a shot at getting out of that listening post.

"_Then _you showed up, and I threw it all away again. Intelligence had wanted a western fighter for years; I had one; then I took off in it. They didn't like that, I'm sure. If I ever dared to show my face in the East again without some kind of major tactical advantage, I _will_ be sent to some forsaken brig." Myth sighed, a very final tone to the sound. "And that's the end of my sordid fall from grace. I believe it's now my turn?"

"Huh? Oh, right, your question," Bit realized, dragging himself out of Myth's story. "Go ahead, then."

"I'll also stick with what I asked before- your machine, with all its speed, power, and grace- is for games?"

"Yep," Bit said, trying to shake off the last of the lingering images. "Zoids are a major industry for my world. They're the biggest thing in entertainment, but the police use them too, and so do some criminals."

"Must make for an interesting society," Myth commented. "And you're in the battles for entertainment business, then?"

"You got it," Bit said proudly. "I'm a zoid warrior, right at the heart of the industry, not to mention I'm one of the best. But don't think for a second we used watered down weapons. There's always an element of risk in the fights back home. Sometimes more than others," he added, thinking of the Backdraft group. 

Myth sighed again, more longingly this time. "A world where battles are fought for no reason other than entertainment. All people should be so fortunate. I shudder to think what my people would do if the had access to zoids in the numbers you must have."

"I thought you _wanted_ to give your people zoids," Bit pointed out. "There! This cell s done. How about yours?"

"Ready and waiting," Myth said, moving to his next one. "Go ahead and install yours. No, what I wanted was to give zoids to my _nation_, not my people. If every nation had zoids, they'd tear this world apart. But if just one nation had even a handful of zoids, it could end the war in that nation's favor."

"You never appreciate what you've got until you see what someone else has- or doesn't have," Bit mused. "Uh- it's still my turn, right?"

"Actually, I'd like to ask you something else first," Myth said.

"Go ahead," Bit shrugged. "Seems only fair after the whole story you gave me."

"Who is this Goldy you mentioned on the bridge?" Myth asked. 

Bit gave a short laugh. "That's a story as long as yours, just not as grim."

"I have nowhere to go, and could use some cheering up," Myth said. "Go ahead."

"I tell you this, and we're even," Bit cautioned. 

"Fine. Now, what happened?"

Bit explained it all as they worked- his trip to a set of ancient ruins, the sudden, inexplicable appearance of the gold organoid, his month-long flight for his life, his return to the Toros base, and how Goldy had bonded with Leena. By the time he was done, they had one cell installed into its port counterpart, another dead one removed, and the second live one almost ready to install.

"It certainly explains a lot on this end," Myth said slowly. "Just about six weeks ago, the south's oh-so-precious Organoid High Scion vanished during a routine transport. No one could figure out where she went." He smiled in a somewhat superior fashion. "I wonder how the little priestess liked it away from her people."

"_She's_ the whole reason we're here," Bit growled. "I don't know how she did it, but somehow she shot us here from the same place she first arrived." He paused and scratched his head. "Come to think of it, how do you suppose she did that?"

"There had to have been a light bridge portal at her landing site," Myth said thoughtfully. "I wonder what it was doing there. I've never heard of a planet-to-planet transport. I think the longest one on record is five hundred miles at best."

Bit pursed his lips, musing. "There's got to be some kind of link between our worlds. It just doesn't make sense any other way."

"I think I see what you're saying, but elaborate for me anyway," Myth said. "I might be thinking the same way."

"Okay." He stopped working on the cell and turned to Myth. "The light bridge is the first thing. We find one on our world that takes us to a place they're common technology. How is it both worlds have it?

"But that's not the end of it, or even the biggest part," he continued. "Two species I thought were unique to Zi are here as well."

"Humans and organoids?" Myth guessed. 

"Yeah," Bit agreed. "Although organoids are all but forgotten on my world. It just makes me wonder how far back you'd have to go to find a link in our history."

"Maybe _my_ history can help with that," Myth considered. "By our admittedly sketchy records, the organoids arrived here around six thousand years ago, in bright streams of light." He glanced over at Bit. _"You_ arrived in a very similar fashion. Connection?"

"Could be," Bit said, picking up his tools again. "But I heard they only got here _three_ thousand years ago, not six."

"You got the southern version, then," Myth realized. "They operate on a different calendar from the rest of us. It's twice as long as everyone else's."

"Twice as long?" Bit asked. "You mean they have one year for every two of yours?"

"Yes," Myth said. "I don't know why they did it that way, but it's been so forever."

"Or at least six millennia," Bit mused. "I can't say much about my own planet's history back then. It's even sketchier than yours. Maybe if you went back that far, to what we call ancient Zi, you _would_ find organoids like there are here."

"Then how do you know about them?" Myth asked. "If organoids are extinct on your world, how do you even know what they are?"

"Largely because of Goldy," Bit admitted, "but also because of a pair of zoids back home: mine, and one called the Berserk Fury."

"Really?" Myth sounded interested. "How did your zoid give you information about what is now an extinct species on your world?"

"Both zoids have a permanent bond to an organoid," Bit explained. "I don't really understand how or when or why it happened, but it lets us fight as one. Reaction time, strategy planning, it's all done in seconds. And it only gets faster the more battle situations we get into, win or lose."

Myth looked sharply at Bit. "I don't believe it!"

"What?"

"Your zoid is a _zaicharin!_" Myth had dropped his tools and seemed very energized all of a sudden.

"We call it an Ultimate X," Bit said, as strong sense of misgiving growing in his stomach. "Why? Do you have moral objections to that?"

"Not at all!" Myth exclaimed. "Every nation on the planet has been trying to do what you say your zoid has done!"

Bit was getting confused again. "Really? Goldy tried to kill me for it."

"She would," Myth said disgustedly. "To the south, an organoid is the perfect life form. Merging permanently, sacrificing that 'noble' form, is sacrilege to them."

"It certainly explains a thing or two," Bit said. "I don't recall her ever really saying why she hated the Liger so much, but I'd always thought Goldy's attitude seemed off. After all, Liger was an organoid at some point, and he obviously had no problem with the choice."

"I wonder how he did it," Myth mused. "He would've had to be near death, we know that much. But since organoids live so long, and are so hard to kill, not to mention the precise timing required to bond permanently, actually achieving the _zaicharin_ state is almost unheard of."

"I guess I'm just lucky Liger pulled it off way back when," Bit shrugged.

"Tell me something," Myth said eagerly, "have you ever had a dream or vision that turned out to be true?"

"Um…" Bit thought back. "Yeah, actually. It was of my friends fighting a submarine. I found out later they'd dealt with one." He looked at Myth. "How did you know about that?"

"It's been observed before," Myth explained. "The partner of a _zaicharin_ has at least three visions in a cycle. The first is past, then present and future, respectively. No one's ever figured out why it works, though."

"It's gotta have something to do with my link to Liger," Bit pondered. "But it never happened before I got here. I wonder if the planet itself is having some kind of effect on us."

"We should figure that out later," Myth said, his tone suddenly turning dark. "It just occurred to me that in a short time from now, your friends are going to make contact with Leena."

"Yeah, so?"

"Up until this point, the Organoid Scion believed you were dead," Myth said, working faster. "Once your friends arrive, however, she'll know that's not the case." He looked seriously at Bit. "I think she's going to start trying to kill you again."

"And no Toros base to retreat to this time," Bit said grimly. Then he frowned as something occurred to him. "I thought the south didn't have any fighter craft aside from those troop carriers that showed up," he pointed out.

"They don't," Myth confirmed, "but the High Scion does have one weapon her disposal nobody else does."

"Which is…?" Bit asked nervously. 

"A super-organoid."

Bit stared at him. "A what?!"

"About a hundred years ago, some scientists in the north started experimenting on organoids, trying to create a superior breed of creature. What they ended up creating was far too powerful for them to control. An infant with incredible strength and abilities, but had known nothing but the pain they inflicted on it to keep it subdued." He shook his head in disgust. "They should have realized they couldn't keep such a beast contained for long. When it ultimately broke free, it killed the entire science team, destroyed the lab, and blasted its way out of the most secure research facility on the planet."

"Great," Bit hissed. "How did the south get hold of it?"

"By treating it kindly," Myth said. "They found it wandering around the desert three months later, destroying everything it came across. Somehow, one of their organoids convinced the creature it would be safe in the south."

"And it went with them?"

"Quite willingly," Myth growled. "It's been living there ever since."

"So how does that matter?" Bit asked. "The thing's a hundred years old, right? The best it could probably do is wheeze at us."

Myth looked sharply at him. "Bit, the life span of a _normal_ organoid is three hundred years easily. This artificially created monstrosity was designed to be superior to anything in existence. You think for one second it's even _close_ to death?"

Bit's stomach did another flip. "Probably still a baby, isn't it?"

"That'd be my guess," Myth said grimly. 

"So why hasn't the south used this thing?!" Bit demanded, working a little faster. "If this so-called super-organoid is so powerful, why haven't they used it to win the war?"

"They have no standing army," Myth reminded him. "This creature is superior to a least a dozen of our fighters, but not to an entire nation's worth of firepower."

"But certainly enough to come after _me,_" Bit growled. "Stupid organoid. I _knew_ I should've killed her when I had the chance."

"Most would have," Myth admitted. "But whatever happened in the past, we've got the present to be concerned with. Are we almost finished with the repairs?"

"Just about," Bit confirmed. "I just need to install one more good cell, let them charge, and then we can go."

As Bit worked, it occurred to him uneasily this whole story could be a scam. Maybe Myth just wanted to get the Hovercargo moving so he could steal it. After all, three of its four zoids and Myth's own Warhound were on board, as well as the Liger's armor units. That alone would probably be enough to earn him back some of his old respect. And yet…

And yet the Liger himself had said Myth was trustworthy. The Liger, whom Bit trusted with his life, and had never been wrong on a judgement call. If Bit couldn't trust his own partner, there was no on he could trust. 

Bit picked up his pace a little more. If it did turn out Myth was telling the truth, better to have the Hovercargo a moving target than a sitting duck. If he was lying, Bit needed to get him off the carrier and the Warhound off the carrier before the Eastern pilot or his organoid could try anything. Either way, the sooner they got moving, the better.

* * *

"Mmmm… I dunno," Brad said slowly. "I kind of agree with Bit. This doesn't seem like Zi's past to me."

"Oh, come one!" Jamie insisted. "There's signs everywhere!"

"Like the humans," the Doc agreed. "How likely do you think it is they evolved exactly like us, countless miles from our own planet? That should be enough in itself."

"I'm thinking more about the sky," Brad said sarcastically. "More specifically, the red-green color of it and the six moons hanging over our heads."

The conversation had been going on almost since they had entered the carrier. Jamie had mentioned his thoughts earlier, and the Doc had agreed on the possibility that this was ancient Zi. 

Brad, however, had taken Bit's side. The resulting debate had gone in circles time and again, until everyone in the cabin was sick of the whole thing. 

Jamie sighed. "Once again, the discussion ends in a stalemate. I wish I knew for sure."

"There must _be_ a way to know for certain," Brad mused. "

"We can try to figure it out later," the Doc said, rising. "I think we've arrived at the city."

They were approaching the same stone wall Leena had seen, with its massive statues and gates. It was no less impressive to them than it had been to Leena. The enormous barrier, covered in organoids, would make an impression on just about anyone.

Brad gave a low whistle. "Wonder how long it took to build _that_."

"We can always ask someone later," the Doc said. "Maybe Leena's heard."

Ten minutes later, they had passed the gates and were fast approaching the heart of the city. They found the Twelve no less impressive that the walls, although they didn't know the name for them. But it was the gold domed building that really amazed them.

"That must be worth a fortune," Brad gaped.

"And look at the craftsmanship!" the Doc pointed out. "It looks like they just _poured_ the roof on."

Jamie alone was frowning. _Something isn't right about this. What, I'm not sure though…_

He didn't have time to try and puzzle it out, however. His musings were quickly broken by a shout from the Doc.

"Leena!"

Jamie looked over at the door and saw his teammate almost running towards them. Her attire caught him off guard, though. Instead of the combat outfit he'd last seen her in, she was wearing very impressive, flowing gold robes. It seemed she'd also done something with her hair; instead of hanging down like normal, it was done up in an elaborate bun at the back of her head. Her usual barrette was also gone; her hair was being held in place by a pair of decorated red picks. The whole look gave her a very regal, and actually quite beautiful, look.

He didn't have long to take her in. Leena got to them in a second, grabbing her father in a fierce hug, almost in tears. "I've been so worried! I didn't know if the west got to you before the carrier we sent out, or if I'd already lost you too!"

"Nope!" the Doc said cheerfully. "Alive and kickin'!"

"And as it turns out," Brad put in, "we haven't lost anyone. Take a look at who showed up not too long ago." He pointed to Jamie, still standing back near the carrier.

Leena's eyes widened, and she grew very pale as she let go of the Doc and looked at him. "J-Jamie??"

He grinned and gave her a small wave. "Hi, Leena."

Now the tears really did start to fall, but he didn't have long to notice. Before he'd finished the second word, Leena had caught him in a bonecrushing hug as she almost crushed her young partner in her joy to see him alive. He could dimly hear her yelling and sobbing happily at the same time, but couldn't make out the words- she was covering his ears with her bear hug.

Finally she let him go, and now he could see just how hard she was crying. The last time he'd seen _anyone_ cry this hard was when Bit found out how much money he owed Doc for the Liger's armor- and even _that_ hadn't been so wet. "I can't believe you survived! How did you get out of there?! We thought that explosion had killed you for sure!"

"I'm a high speed zoid pilot," he reminded her, still trying to catch his breath. "You didn't really think Bit and I couldn't dodge an explosion like that, did you?"

"B-Bit?" Leena hiccuped, wiping her tears and looking at him quickly. "Bit's here too?"

"No, but he did survive," the Doc assured her, "but he didn't come with us. He figured someone had to fix the Hovercargo if we wanted to go home."  


"Right," Leena said, suddenly seeming uneasy for a minute. Just as quickly, she did her best to set it aside. "Well, I'm sorry he didn't join you, but I _am_ glad you both didn't die."

"So are we," Jamie said fervently. "Dying wouldn't have been too pleasant."

"Sorry to break up this tender moment," Brad interrupted, "but what are you wearing, Leena?"

She seemed to get uneasy again, and slightly embarrassed. "I'll explain that inside. We can talk while we eat."

Jamie was suddenly aware he was very hungry. He and Bit had been eating rations out of their zoids, not willing to take food from the refugees who already didn't have a lot of resources. "As long as you don't have to add water to make it edible, that sounds great."

Leena grinned. "I think the cooks around here can do a little better than that." She motioned for them to head in.

Brad looked around the halls as they moved along. "Seems like there's no end to the organoids in this place."

"They're very important here," Leena explained. "From what I've seen of their history, these people in particular wouldn't have survived to build this city without them."

"Why is that?"

"Most of the organoids arrived _here_," Leena explained. "Wherever they came from, most of them ended up in the south. All those organoids held back the other tribes while the southerners built this city and wall surrounding it."

"They must've had to hold back the south's enemies for quite a while," the Doc mused.

"They did," Leena confirmed. "It wasn't easy, but it worked. The city you're in, and the barrier wall around it are a testament to that."

"A simple wall can't be enough."

Leena stopped and looked at Jamie. "What did you say?"

"I said that can't be enough to protect this city," Jamie repeated. "Strong though I'm sure it is, it can't be enough to stand up to the type of firepower we've seen here."

For a brief second, Jamie thought he saw a flicker of irritation on Leena's face- but just a flash. Then she nodded. "Yeah, that's right. But it's not all the South has to fall back on."

She explained the South's various defenses as they walked on. By the time they reached what Leena told them was the banquet hall, he was starting to get an odd sense from her. It was like she was… proud of this place's defenses, almost as if she'd built them herself.

_Maybe I'm imagining things, _he told himself. _Brad and the Doc don't seem like they've noticed anything. It's probably _is _just my imagination._ With some effort, he pushed his thoughts away and looked around at the banquet hall.

It was an impressive room. The floor was meticulously tiled, as were much of the walls. Organoid statues lined the room, standing at much larger than life height of twenty five or thirty feet. The central feature of the room, however, was the banquet table itself. It could have easily seated a hundred people, with maybe another fifty if they'd squeezed in a little. It was made of some kind of highly polished black stone, with the chairs made of a different rock type, lighter in color and probably weight.

"The room looks good," the Doc remarked casually. "How about food?"

Leena smiled indulgently, as if _she_ were the older of the two. "Don't worry. The chefs are making a local specialty. Desert Lizard."

The Doc's hungry expression flickered slightly. "Sounds… interesting."

"Lizards are actually pretty tasty," Brad commented. 

Jamie blinked in surprise. "I didn't know you'd eaten lizard before."

"A long time ago, before I'd joined the Blitz Team," Brad said casually. "Fried lizard steaks. When you can't win much, catching lizards is a good way to save money."

"I'll have to think about that," the Doc said. "If we could catch our own food back home, just think about how much we'd have for new components."

"There's better ways to save money, Doc," Jamie chided.

"Although if Leena's decided to start dressing like that on a regular basis, the costs of a new wardrobe alone are gonna hurt," Brad put in, running an eye over her attire. "What's that thing made of, woven gold?"

Leena was looking uncomfortable again, and didn't answer the question. Jamie opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but before he could, a team of robed people bustled in, all carrying trays. The smells wafting over- lizard or not- made his mouth water. He decided to ask her about everything later- it wasn't like she was leaving the team.

"So where's Goldy?" the Doc asked as they sat down. "I expected to see her with you."

"She had to take care of a few things," Leena said with a shrug. "I figured we'd eat, then I could take you on a tour of the city. I think Goldy will meet up with us somewhere along the way."

"Sounds good," Jamie said. "I'd like to look at the city."

"I don't think we should stay _too_ long," Brad pointed out. "The last thing we want is for Bit to have problems with that cannon."

Leena frowned in confusion. "Cannon?"

"Yeah," Brad said with a meaningful look at Jamie and the Doc. "You know, the one that seems secure, but could still break _loose_."

Jamie frowned. What was Brad getting at?

Belatedly, it hit him- Myth. Brad was still concerned about leaving him alone with Bit and their zoids. He just didn't want to come out and say they had an enemy of the south aboard the Hovercargo. 

"He's got a point," Jamie said. "The last thing we need to deal with is a loose cannon on the Hovercargo."

Leena frowned as she ate her lizard. "If you're having problems with anything on the Hovercargo, we can tow it into the city. I'm sure the techs here can take care of it."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," the Doc said a little too cheerfully. "Bit can keep things locked down well enough without us."

Jamie caught the obvious hint and turned his attention back to his food, but couldn't shake off a new sense of foreboding. He just hoped the Doc was right about Myth and Bit.

The meal was very quiet, despite Leena's promise to explain her outfit. That was mainly because everyone was starving, and the lizard dish actually proved quite tasty. Still, Jamie had a feeling that Leena was holding something back from them. He didn't ask her about it, though; he wanted to see if she'd bring it up.

She didn't. As they neared the end of dinner, Leena rose to her feet. "If we're going to tour the city, we're going to need a guide. I don't know enough about this place to show you around."

"Sounds reasonable," the Doc agreed. "Is that where you're going?"

"Brilliant as ever, Dad," Leena teased. "I'll be right back."

Jamie watched her go, and briefly toyed with the idea of trying to follow her. _No,_ he decided quickly. _There's no point. And she probably just get mad at me for suspecting something._ With effort, he stayed seated.

Later, he'd regret that.

If he had followed her, he'd have seen almost immediately that Leena didn't look for a guide when she left the room. Instead, she went as quickly as she could to the Central Chamber.

Goldy was waiting for her. "You heard?" Leena asked quickly. Her tone had changed subtly; it was harder, colder, than her usual voice.

_Of course,_ Goldy hissed. _So, he survived after all. Most regrettable. Still, _zaicharin_ pilots are notoriously hard to kill, especially with one as old as the Liger._

Leena nodded. "How do you want me to deal with him?"

Goldy considered. _Don't. I'll take care of it personally. _You_ keep up with the other part of the plan._

"Fine," Leena said. "Now that Jamie is also alive, should I include him too?"

_Yes, but stick with Brad,_ Goldy ordered. _Jamie is a good flyer and tactician, but Brad would make a better field commander._ She looked hard at Leena. _You're certain you can pull this off?_

Leena smiled- again, not at all like she normally would. It had the same icy edge her voice had taken on. "Don't worry about it. Even if Brad didn't have an affinity for redheads, I've got plenty of charm to use on him. He'll stay."

_Good, _Goldy hissed. _Now return to you team with a guide. I'm going to arrange for Bit Cloud to die along with his cursed zoid._

* * *__

"Okay… try it now!"

Bit heard the engines start to fire, felt a rumble in his bones as it tried to lift off the ground, and finally, a fait tremor through the deck plates that could only mean-

{We're up!} Myth crowed over the intercom. {Sensors show we're at optimum travelling height, with balance stabilizers running at 35% of tolerance.} He paused. {That _is_ a good reading, right?}

"It's good," Bit assured him, starting for the bridge. "It means the Hovercargo won't have to work too hard to keep us balanced as we travel. It's kind of like shock absorbers in a car. The stabilizers keep us from feeling every little bump in the road as we move."

{I hope we don't get too many bumps,} Myth said darkly. {It's my impression we can't afford another hit back there.}

"We can't," Bit agreed. "And I don't want to risk going underwater, either. The saltwater wouldn't have to work too hard to seep into some delicate stuff with that hole in our armor. And if someone is lucky enough or good enough to hit the same spot the Warhound did, we'll probably lose _all_ our power cells this time."

{Let's hope that the South's 'special weapon' doesn't notice that,} Myth said dryly.

"I just hope it doesn't show up," Bit countered. 

{It will,} Myth warned grimly. {The High Scion would be remiss in her duties if she _didn't_ send someone to kill you. And that super-organoid is her best shot.}

"Then I suggest we not be around when it shows up," Bit said, finally reaching the bridge. "Head for the Southeast border."

Myth looked at him in surprise. "My nation? Why there?"

"It's the only place to go," Bit said hopelessly. "The west has already attacked us, the south is probably sending its biggest, nastiest creature out as we speak, and we can't hide in the ocean anymore." He shrugged. "The just leaves your side. Maybe it won't cross the border."

"Sounds iffy," Myth warned. "The west didn't hesitate to enter the No-Man's land we're in now."

"This is unclaimed territory, right?"

Myth nodded. 

"We're headed for a sovereign nation," Bit pointed out. "If it puts one claw across the line, it's practically begging for an attack force to show up and kill it."

Myth seemed to sag a little. "I'm just worried about what it might do if it _does_ enter my nation. I don't want any more of my fellow citizen's deaths on my conscience."

"Don't worry," Bit assured him. "If this thin turns out to be stubborn enough to cross the boundary line, I'll stop it before it can kill anyone."

Myth looked at his scanner. "As it turns out, this whole discussion has just been rendered pointless."

Bit looked at the sands, a sinking feeling in his gut. "Don't tell me… it just showed up?"

"At the absolute edge of sensor resolution," Myth confirmed. "I'm surprised we can pick up any signal at this distance."

"How long will it take to get here?" Bit asked tensely.

"With the speeds we're both moving at, I think about six minutes," Myth said uncertainly. "I'm not really sure if I can read these scanners right."

"They're right," Bit said, quickly glancing at the instruments. "Well, some advance warning is better than none." He let out a long breath. "Okay, I'm going to the Liger. I need you to do something, though."

"What?"

"First, stop the Hovercargo. Then, activate a program called 'CAS' and pick the option labeled 'Schnieder."

"I'll try," Myth said. "What's a Schnieder, though?"

Bit looked out at the desert. Somewhere close, what was said to be the most powerful organoid on the planet was heading straight for him with murder in its heart. If it was even half as powerful as Myth had alluded, he was in trouble. 

Still, when had that ever stopped him?

"Our best shot at surviving this."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _So… Leena condoning Bit's murder??? Even for her, that's harsh! And what does she have in store for Brad??? Can Bit defeat the incoming super organoid? Should I write a sequel to this story too? Be back in two weeks for all this and more!! _


	6. The Super Organoid and Goldy's threat

AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ A quick apology before we get started. I didn't mean for this to take the couple extra days it did; things just got crazy out here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

It was time to kill.

It sped across the desert, rockets blazing. Vicious red eyes were focused straight ahead, locked on to the place it would find its victims. 

Right now, the beast's only thought was on completing its task. Later, as it crushed its foe, that would change to bloodlust. When it had its victim pinned to the ground, when its foes' pleas for mercy filled the desert air, the creature would allow itself the luxury of being intoxicated from battle. It would relish hearing the pitiful begging of its defeated enemy, just before it finally killed it. But for now, the bloodlust was under control. It had a duty to fulfil first.

The burning red eyes fixed on a tiny orange speck in the desert sands, two miles ahead. It stood before a large blue and white carrier, its very appearance a challenge to the beast. The creature reared back its head and roared, sending a message across the sands for all to hear, terrifying in its simplicity because all who heard it _knew_, beyond all doubt, it would do what it said.

_I have come to kill you. _

* * *

Bit clenched and relaxed his hands on the Liger's controls. "Myth, I need that armor…"

~I'm trying! I'm going as fast as I can with these controls,~ Myth yelled, frustrated. ~I still don't know fully how this machine works!~

"Figure it out _quick!_" Bit hollered back. "That thing's going to be here any second!"

Bit was sitting in the Liger's cockpit on the transformation deck, currently without any armor. Removing the Jager had been easy enough; most of it could be run from his end. But switching to Schneider _had_ to be done from the bridge, and _that_ was what had them stuck. 

With the super organoid so close, Bit didn't have time to disengage the Jager, run back to the bridge, activate the Schneider CAS, then get _back_ into the Liger before the creature attacked. That meant Myth had to change out the armor, but so far he hadn't-

With a sudden _clang_ of gears, the armor containers began to rotate. ~Got it! Liger Zero Schneider CAS program engaged!~

"About time!" Bit relaxed his grip just barely. "You ready, Liger?"

_No. But there is not a choice. This beast will not back away at any cost._

The Liger's voice was tinged with an emotion Bit had heard there maybe once before, and never since- fear. "Liger? You okay?"

_Merely unnerved. This beast's aura bears an unsettling resemblance to an ancient evil faced twice before._

Bit didn't have time to even wonder what that meant. ~Bit! The armor transformation is complete! I'm activating the magnetic launcher now!~

The floor lurched as the Schneider's platform rose to the bay launcher. The door opened, and the launcher began its power up sequence. Bit let out more slow breath. "Okay, this is it. _Go Schneider!_"

Battered though its body might be, the Hovercargo's launcher worked perfectly. It hurled the Liger out of the carrier, onto the desert sands-

-where it skidded to a halt inches away from the organoid's teeth.

Bit stared at the drooling maw in surprise. "Oh… hello."

The organoid lunged forward, jaws snapping shut to crush the Liger's head-

The Liger reared back, barely pulling out of the way. On two legs and off balance, it did an awkward back jump, landing fifty feet away, and giving Bit some needed breathing space.

"Too close," Bit sputtered. "Way, way, too close!"

_The fight was almost over before it started! _the Liger agreed shakily. _Not good._

_It's about to get much, much worse!_

"Whoa!" Bit jumped. "Liger, was that _Goldy?!_"

_It's me, _she confirmed. _I just thought I'd see you off to on your journey to Hell._

"See us off?" Bit frowned. "Are _you_ that thing that I'm looking at now?"

Goldy snorted. _Does it _look_ like me standing out there?_

It didn't. The super-organoid was as tall as a Genosaurer, with a nasty looking row of spines running down its entire body. The tail ended in an especially sharp sting, almost like a scorpion's. Huge claws raked forward from each foot, integrated butcher knives. Equally massive forearms ended in three-taloned hands, twitching in anticipation of cutting into something. Its burning red eyes glared at them, murder staring out across the sands. But most strange of all was its skin. 

From the various organoids he had seen, Bit had begun to expect them to be a single color. This one, however, was nothing like that. A bizarre patchwork of colors ran over the entire body, from silver to green to red and a dozen others Bit saw. The whole creature looked like it had been welded together from other organoids. Considering what Myth had told him, Bit wasn't sure it _hadn't_ been created that way.

Whatever else was true, it was _not_ Goldy.

_I can merely see through his eyes,_ Goldy hissed. _I wanted to watch you die._

"Then you'll be sadly disappointed!" Bit snarled. "Liger! Let's do this!"

The Liger's voice shredded the air, the challenge echoing for miles. The organoid shrieked in its own piercing voice, answering the Liger's call. Desert creatures hid under whatever they could find as the mingled sounds rolled past; they were the sounds of determination and power, of fear and death. 

The battle had officially begun.

For a wary moment, both sides circled each other, hissing and growling. The tension between them cracked the air under the weight of it. But both held their ground, posturing-

The organoid struck.

It leapt thirty feet into the air, its claws gleaming in the desert sun. With a ferocious hiss, it lashed out.

The Liger met the beast halfway, jumping into the air as well, its head blades whipping out. The two collided in mid-leap, and crashed to the ground. The organoid was up in a flash, trying to get its teeth into the Liger. 

__

Watch it!

"Oh no you don't!!" Bit yanked his controls, dodging clear, then lunging back towards the organoid. He pulled the Schneider's blades back, sinking the Liger's teeth into the first body part he saw- the creature's tail.

The beast shrieked, more in anger than pain. Its head darted out once more, and this time it succeeded- now _both _fighter's tails were caught in the other's mouth.

_OW!! Let go of that!!_ The Liger clamped its jaws down more tightly, yanking at his hold.

_Not until you're DEAD!!!!_ The sudden dark voice ripped through Bit's mind, leaving an echoing blackness that threatened to obscure his vision. The organoid itself had spoken, its sense worse than anything Bit could ever imagine. His hands loosened on the controls.

The organoid sensed the weakening of the Liger's pilot and took advantage of it. It tightened its own grip and ripped as hard as it could, making the Liger snarl in pain through clamped teeth.

The snarl cut through the shadow in Bit's mind, and brought him back to focus. "He said, _LET GO!!!"_ Bit twisted the controls, pulling the Liger into a two-legged rear, still keeping the organoid's tail in a death grip. The move pulled the creature's feet out from under it, and crashed to the ground. It dropped the Liger's tail-

-and just as fast, seized the Liger's left rear leg in its jaws.

The Liger roared in renewed pain, freeing the organoid's tail. The creature snarled in triumph, bit down even harder-

Then yelped as the Liger slammed down on all fours, right on top of its back, biting and clawing wherever it could reach. 

The next few seconds were a blur of teeth and claws and blades. Bit wasn't really piloting at that point; the Liger itself had taken over in such an animalistic combat style. He and the organoid tore at each other, digging into armor and metal skin.

With a final vicious roar, and shriek of metal on metal, the pair burst apart, leaping to positions eight meters apart.

Bit sat in the cockpit gasping for breath. "Jeez! You okay, Liger?!"

_No serious damage,_ the Liger assured him, sounding rather winded himself. 

"I really, _really,_ don't like this thing," Bit growled uneasily. He glared across the sands, where it stood, looking almost smug. "Did you hear that voice? It was like- like…"

_Listening to death itself,_ the Liger said, almost like it was remembering something from long ago, not less than a minute. 

"That's one way to put it," Bit muttered. "Not a very comforting one, though. Are you sure you didn't get hurt back there?"

__

The armor took the worst of the hits. That beast hasn't caused near_ enough damage to end this battle._

"Unfortunately, neither have we," Bit pointed out grimly. "That things' skin is as tough as your armor! We need to think of something…"

_Normal tactics aren't working_, the Liger agreed. _Its fighting style doesn't allow a head on charge, like is typical with this mode._

"Then _we_ need to change tactics," Bit said, thinking fast. "Can you predict anything about its next move yet?"

_Maybe_, the Liger said uncertainly. _It fights almost like a unpiloted Genosaurer- wild, and very random. _

"Whatever we do, it's gotta be fast," Bit said, tightening his grip. "I think it's about to-"

The organoid charged.

Nothing the Blitz team had ever faced moved so fast. It looked like nothing more than a multicolored blur with teeth. It reached the Schneider in less than a second, lashing out with its claws to gut it-

But its target wasn't there.

To Bit, it was like the organoid was in slow motion. He saw it start running, the clawed feet digging into the sands. Its teeth flashed in the light as its maw opened and neck stretched to attack position. It wanted _this_ to be the charge that ended the battle.

Bit wasn't about to let that be the case.

He urged the Liger forward, starting his own run. Bit could hear his own heart pounding in his ears, well aware of how risky this move was. If his timing was off- or he misjudged by an inch either way-

Bit leapt.

The Schneider cleared the ground just as the organoid's teeth snapped where they'd been standing. Bit's jump carried him to the center of the organoid's back; Bit leapt again, using the creature itself as a springboard. The Liger bounded up again, landing easily on the desert sands.

The organoid, off-balance from its rush and the unexpected maneuver, staggered- and gave Bit an opening.

"_Now, Liger! BUSTER SLASH!!!!"_ The Liger whirled around, blades whipping out to attack mode, and lunged.

The blades flared with energy, slicing into the organoid. Its shriek of pain rent the air once more, and this time, Bit thought he heard a second voice screaming- Goldy's.

The Schneider landed and ground to a halt, its attack finished. Bit looked around frantically. "Is it dead? Did we get it?"

_It's injured,_ the Liger said, voice tight, _but it still has plenty of fight left in it._

Bit spun around, facing the organoid again. "Just how badly did we… oh."

The creature was on its feet, holding its left arm. A deep gash ran over the same shoulder, and for about four feet back. The wound dripped some bluish-black fluid on the sands steadily, but the organoid still looked ready for more.

Bit cursed. "Not enough. Think we can pull that trick off again?"

_Pull what off? The Buster Slash?_

"No, that other thing. You know, when you made time go all funny," Bit reminded him.

The Liger sounded confused. _Time go funny? What is this?_

Bit frowned. "You mean that _wasn't_ your doing?"

_No._

He scratched his head. "Then what just-"

Myth suddenly cut him off. ~Bit! That thing's up to something!~

Bit forced his attention back to the super organoid- and felt his jaw drop. "_Tell_ me that thing isn't doing what it looks like!"

_It is,_ the Liger confirmed grimly. _It is doing_ exactly_ what it looks like._

The organoid had straightened its body out as much as it could, standing parallel to the ground. What appeared to be vents opened along its sides, and its clawed feet had dug deeply into the sand. Worst of all, it had a gun barrel protruding from its mouth, a sphere of energy steadily growing as Bit watched.

_"Charged particle cannon!!"_ Bit yelled. "_Liger, dodge that beam!!_"

The beast fired.

The energy beam carved the air, a shaft of death tearing apart the landscape. Bit dodged the beam, leaping right, then back the other way as the creature tracked his movements. Alarms screamed at him from every console, and the never-ceasing sound of the charged particle cannon itself seemed to drill into his brain.

"I… don't know… how long we can keep this up!" Bit yelled. "That thing's weapons are even stronger than the Fury's!"

_Stay in control! It can't fire like this forever!_

"I can't _dodge_ forever!"

_FOCUS!!_

Bit forced himself to shut up and kept leaping, dodging, moving anyway he could to avoid the organoid's fire.

_Get clear!_

"I'm trying! But there's so much fire, it's all I can do to dodge!" Bit shouted. "Man! Where's backup when you really need it?!"

The Hovercargo fired.

With all the energy being tossed around, the shots weren't very accurate. Most went too wide or high; three splashed into the sand at its feet-

-and one impacted directly onto its chest. 

The organoid staggered, losing its footholds on the sand.

And without that support, it couldn't aim the cannon accurately. For the next few seconds, Bit had a clear shot.

He used it.

"_Seven Blade Attack!"_

All the Schneider's blades whipped out and forward in one fluid motion, power swirling around them. The Schneider leapt into the air once more, thrusters firing to life-

-the organoid swung its head up, its fire tracking the Liger-

-Bit's attack landed first.

The Liger darted right under the cannon fire, its attack carving into the creature.

The organoid roared in pain, breaking off the charged particle cannon fire as it did. Bit landed the Schneider and whirled around- "Almost got him, Liger! One more pass! _Buster Slash!_"

They lunged again, slicing one more deep cut, this one across the organoid's back. The beast gave one more shriek, then collapsed to the ground. Bit slumped in his seat, panting.

It was over.

_NO!!_

Bit jumped. "Who-?!"

_Probably the Scion_, the Liger suggested. _It doesn't feel like that beast._

Bit nodded. The dark, mind numbing feel wasn't present, he had just gotten momentarily spooked. "Disappointed, Goldy? So sorry we didn't just roll over and die for you."

He could almost see her vicious snarl as she answered. _You have the fight, boy, and now it will be your friends who pay the price._

Bit's expression twisted into something as dark and menacing as Goldy's must have looked right then. "If you hurt _any_ of them…"

_Oh, don't worry,_ Goldy purred, her voice becoming silky in a heartbeat. _I wouldn't do anything so blatant. But I have other ways of taking them_ _from you. Your mentor, the doctor… the one you consider your equal, the mercenary… even your closest friend in the group, the young pilot. By the time I'm finished with them, they'll hate you just as much as I do. They'll kill you _for _me!_ Her telepathic laughter echoed mockingly throughout Bit's mind. _Killed by your own teammates. How I look forward to it!_

Bit's face wore a look of unspeakable hatred. "You filthy son of a-"

_That will never happen_.

The Liger's calm voice broke into Goldy's heartless taunting, shutting her up. _The Blitz Team will not turn against itself. Efforts to do so will prove useless._

_That's what you think, _zaicharin _scum._ Goldy's voice was more murderous than ever. _As it happens, I have already turned Leena against you. She now shares my will completely. She even_ approved_ this action!_

Bit gaped. "She did _what?!_"

_The girl did no such thing, _the Liger said fiercely. _How much will is being exerted to keep the child under control? How long can it be maintained?_

_I don't need to keep it up forever,_ Goldy hissed. _In thirty hours, she will be mine forever. After Leena has been shown the correct path, I can take the rest of the team just as quickly. _

"Not if you don't get the chance," Bit snarled. "I'm coming for my friends, Goldy. _All_ of them."

_I don't think so,_ Goldy snapped. _You'll never break through my nation's defenses. And in a few short hours, you'll have much more to worry about._

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bit demanded.

There was no reply.

"Goldy?" Bit frowned. "Liger, can you sense her?"

_No, _the Liger said. _But the reason for such a rapid departure is… unclear._

"To say the least," Bit muttered. He tapped the comm. "Hey, Myth? Did you hear any of that?"

~Loud and clear,~ Myth confirmed. ~She wasn't bothering to hide her words. She didn't care _who_ heard her, apparently.~

"Then maybe you can answer a few questions for me?"

~I'll do my best,~ Myth promised. ~But first, I've got a quick question for you. Do you know if you've had another vision yet? 

"What?"

~Another vision, this time of the present. It's about time for it have happened.~

"Uh…" Bit had to think for a minute to realize what Myth was talking about. "Oh! Right! Um… I'm not sure. I haven't seen anything like the last time, the vision of the submarine battle."

~It wouldn't be like that,~ Myth said quickly. ~It usually happens in combat, and it's almost like a time distortion. Everything except you feels like it's slowed way down.~

"Hey! Yeah, I did get that!" Bit realized. "For just a few seconds out here, but yeah! I wondered what that was!"

~It probably saved your life. They usually do,~ Myth said. ~They just happen to come at those ultra critical moments.~

Bit nodded. "It certainly did this time. I guess that's two down, one to go."

~Looks that way,~ Myth agreed. ~And now I think we should move. I don't trust that super organoid to be more trouble than it's worth, even three quarters dead.~

_It's too late for that,_ the Liger broke in, its voice suddenly tense. _It's going to change!_

Bit frowned in confusion. "Change? Change how?"

_LIKE THAT!_

A massive vortex of green light suddenly erupted out of the near dead creature, blocking it from view. It seemed to wrap itself around the organoid, covering it in an endlessly swirling dome of energy.

"What is _that_?!" Bit yelled in shock. "Myth! What's going on?!"

~Th-that's something that shouldn't be happening!~ Myth stammered, sounding as amazed as Bit felt. ~That's only supposed to happen when an organoid is merged!~

"What?!" Bit demanded. "What's supposed to happen?!"

~Evolution. No one really understands how or why it works, or even happens, but organoids have the ability to change something they merge with, to make it more powerful.~ He shook his head in astonishment. ~But I've _never_ heard of an organoid that could change _itself_.~

"I'm guessing not too many can fire charged particle cannons either," Bit said grimly. "Those weapons are rare on _my_ world. I _never_ expected to find them here!"

~I suppose that's why it's a super organoid,~ Myth pointed out. ~Solo evolution, massively powerful energy weapons… who knows what else those idiot scientists put into the thing? That monstrosity can do more things than _twenty_ normal organoids.~

Bit looked uneasily at the swirling cocoon of light. "Is it safe for us to be here?"

~For the moment, yes. The vortex itself is harmless to humans, and it usually takes at least a day for whatever the organoids do in there to be completed. But…~

"But with a creature like this, we can't be sure about anything," Bit finished grimly. "I'm coming aboard. Get us moving as soon as the Liger's secured."

~Move to where?~ 

"Away from that thing, until I've come up with a new plan," Bit said, moving the Liger over to the Hovercargo. "I need to figure out a way to get my friends out of the south and back to Zi before Goldy can do… _whatever_ it was she threatened to do." He paused. "Any idea what she meant? I can't see her turning us against each other. At least, not so much _any_ of us would try to kill each other."

~It was probably a bluff, at least in large part,~ Myth replied. ~They warned us about this when we started training with organoids. In some situations, the personality of either the human _or_ organoid can end up replacing the personality of the other.~

"Whoa, whoa, hold it," Bit interrupted. "_Replace_ their personality? What does that mean?"

~Exactly what it sounds like,~ Myth said. ~Whichever of the two is affected loses their own identity, becoming an extension of the other. Everyone in the military does their best to avoid it- giving both partners the same mind and characteristics tends to create blind spots. With two people, both people can act as a safety net for their partner, watching for mistakes the other might make.~

Bit's stomach churned with dread. "So that's what Goldy meant when she said Leena had agreed with this attack. She's being manipulated by Goldy!"

~She's probably not even aware of it,~ Myth warned him. ~If the Scion wants to have no room for error in this, she'll control the way your friend as subtly as she can. Then, after thirty hours, it'll be too later for the girl. Her mind and soul will be forever changed to be identical to the High Scion's herself. Then she'll move on to the others in your team.~

"Uh-uh," Bit growled, docking the Liger. "Not gonna happen. Not to _my_ friends."

~We're under way,~ Myth reported. ~We'll be miles from that cocoon in no time.~

"Good," Bit said, lifting his restraints. "Keep going. When I get up to the bridge, I want you to tell me everything you can about _all_ the south's defenses, not just the autogun fields."

~I'll tell you what I know,~ Myth said warily. ~What are you planning?~

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Bit asked with a shrug. "I'm going to get my friends out of that city and back home where we belong. _All_ my friends."

~Alone?~ Myth demanded incredulously. ~You're going to try and break through the defenses of the most heavily dug in nation on the planet? Do you know how many _miles_ of autoguns that is?!~

"I've got some idea," Bit said. "I'm still going." He hesitated. "You and Naru don't have to be a part of this, though. It's not _your _people's lives at risk."

~I think it is,~ Myth said grimly. ~If you go through with this without any support, you'll probably get yourself captured. If that happens, not only will the Scion try to mind twist you the way she will your friends, they'll pick apart your zoid. They'll figure out how the _zaicharin_ transformation works, and either secretly do it themselves, or come up with some way to make your zoid without it. They'll be able to make fleets of Ligers, and no one will be able to stand against them. No, the fate of my people is _definitely_ at stake here. Naru and I are going with you.~

Bit smiled faintly. "Thanks. I knew I could count on you two."

Myth grunted. ~Don't thank me yet. I still don't see how you plan to get through the South's defenses.~

"I've got the first part figured out," Bit admitted. "Beyond that, I'm not sure. I have no idea what to expect at the south's doorstep."

~I'll tell you what I can,~ Myth promised. ~Then we'll see if we can't come up with some half-cocked scheme to beat the south's legendary defenses.~. 

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: _I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and again, I'm sorry it was a little late. I'm hoping to have the next one up in January; I've got something else that's going to require my attention for a while. But don't worry, I'll be back to finish this story. See you in the new year!_


	7. Meanwhile, in the South

Leena strode back into the dining hall a few minutes after she'd left, something in her right hand. "Okay, I've got our guide. Let's go."

                Jamie looked around the room. "Where? I don't see anyone else."

                "Right here," she said, holding out the object in her hand. "It's one of the city's robotic guides. It can tell us anything we want to know."

                The 'guide' was about six inches across and made of silvery metal. There was a white dome-shaped lump in the center, making the little gizmo look something like a misshapen frisbee. 

                Brad looked at it doubtfully. "Are you that's not just a piece of junk, Leena? It reminds me of old UFO models."

                She shrugged. "Okay, see for yourself." She pressed her left hand on the dome. 

                The little device suddenly lit up, and whizzed off Leena's palm. It hovered at about chest height, then spoke in an almost annoyingly cheerful voice. "Greetings, visitors! Welcome to the city of the South! I am Guide Lapto 14, and I will be pleased to escort you around the city, and answer any and all questions you might have!"

                The Doc raised an eyebrow, amused. "Eager little thing, isn't it?" He looked at Brad and Jamie. "What do you say? Feel like taking a look around before we head back?"

                Brad nodded. "Yeah, definitely. This is probably the only chance we'll have to see a real city on this world. It'd be a shame to miss out."

                Jamie shrugged. "I dunno… it seems like we'd be pushing our luck."

                "What do you mean, Jamie?" the Doc asked.

                "Ever since we've gotten to this planet, it's been one disaster after another," Jamie pointed out. "Now we know everyone's alive, and we can regroup fairly quickly. I say we cash in our chips and get back to the Hovercargo as fast as we can, and get _off_ this rock before something else pops up."

                "Oh, come on," Leena chided. "Yes, we've had a bumpy ride, but everything is under control now. Nothing else _is_ going to happen. Trust me."

                "I think it's safe enough," the Doc assured him. "Come on. Let's go exploring."

                Jamie still hesitated. "I don't know…"

                "One hour," the Doc insisted. "We'll head back in one hour, and be home in time to sleep in our own beds. Come on."

                With a reluctant sigh, Jamie nodded. "Okay. But _only_ an hour."

                "Great!" Leena exalted. She opened the door. "Lead on, Guide!"

                "Excellent! I am overjoyed to be able to escort and educate you in the history of this great city!" The little machine buzzed higher and floated out of the door.

                Brad stood and pushed his chair in, looking after the little robot unenthusiastically. "I'm looking forward to seeing the sights, but I wish that thing had a slightly less perky mode on it."

                                                                                                * * *                                                                                       

                Bit frowned as he looked at the map of the city. "You say this came from aerial recon?"

                "And it wasn't easy to get," Myth grumbled. "It took our best pilots three tries to get past the defense lines."

                He, Bit and Naru were on the Hovercargo's bridge, examining some photos of the southern city. Like Myth said, the shots were from the South's recon flight over the region, and were stored in the Naru. They, and some scattered reports about the defense lines, were all Myth and Naru had to offer Bit to plan for an offensive. 

                Yet he was still working on it. Myth had to admit, whatever this young man said about his lifestyle as an entertainer, he had more guts than most soldiers one any side of the war.

                Bit glanced at him in surprise. "The South's autoguns have a range that lets them target planes?"

                "Under normal circumstances, no. But we wanted to get a good image of the city itself, and with all the sensor interference, we had to fly lower than normal," Myth explained. "Low enough that we _were_ in range of the guns."

                "Gotcha," Bit said, looking back at the map. "Okay…. So we're looking at what, twenty miles from perimeter to city walls?"

                "More like twenty three," Myth said specutively. "The guns activate when we you get with fifty meters of them, so whatever you're using, you'll be in their range first."

                "Expected that," Bit said with a nod, "but these tracking systems have never dealt with anything like the Liger. With any kind of luck, they shouldn't be able to track fast enough to get a lock on me."

                Myth eyed him warily. "You're putting an awful lot of faith in luck."

                "Somewhat," Bit admitted with a shrug. "But it's more faith in the Liger and my skills." He tapped the screen. "I've faced enemies a lot worse than some automated guns in the sand. We can clear a path to the south big enough for us and the Hovercargo without too much worry."

                "Fine," Myth conceded. "Let's say this works. There's still this barrier wall to contend with." He motioned to the city. "Powerful as your Liger is, I don't think it can cut through _this_."

                "It won't have to," Bit replied. "We can use another one of my armor forms. It's got enough firepower to cut right through that ancient relic."

                Myth looked at him incredulously. "You're joking. You honestly think you have enough firepower to blast the South's defense wall into rubble?"

                "Sure. Why?"

                _That wall has protected them for thousands of years,_ Naru hissed. _It has resisted attack after attack, century after century. And with additions of line after line of autoweapons, no nation has even gotten close to the wall in four hundred years._

                "All the better for us," Bit pointed out. "It means they'll be overconfident. They'll never believe anyone can breach the wall, and that might give us an extra edge."

                Naru glanced sideways at his partner. _He's really insane enough to try this._

                _Perhaps,_ Myth thought back, pushing aside his usual reservations about non-verbal communication. _But then again, maybe what this world _needs_ is a little insanity to stir things up. We've been in a stalemate far too long; this just might be the event that changes it all._

                He turned to Bit. "So, we have the maps; we have some idea of the South's strength; is your plan simply to blast your way in?"

                "Once we get to the city, yes," Bit confirmed. "Until then, I'll be using the Schnieder's side blades to cut down the autoguns in a path large enough for the Hovercargo to follow. Once we get within range of the barrier wall, I'll double back to the 'Cargo for a quick armor change, then hammer away with the Panzer unit."

                Myth raised an eyebrow. "Panzer unit? Sounds…. big."              

                "It is." Bit looked over at him and grinned. "Don't worry about anything. I've got this under control. The only things you need to make sure of is that the shield stays up and the armor conversion systems aren't damaged. I'll make sure the back end of the Hovercargo won't be targeted by the guns."

                _He'd better, _Naru hissed privately to Myth, _or the Scion will be very disappointed.  I'll eat him myself._

                                                                                                * * *

                "…and to your left is the Fountain of the Third Scion," the Guide whirred helpfully. "Constructed some five hundred years ago, this fountain…"

                Jamie saw the structure, but wasn't really listening. His mind was whirring as fast as the Guide was speaking, trying to pinpoint what was bugging him.

                It had been going on since about ten minutes into the tour. The Guide had been pointing out historical landmarks, museums, restaurants, homes of famous Southern citizens, and so on. As he looked around, hearing the robot blather on about the architecture of the organoid statues decorating the area, he started to get the sense something was wrong. 

                It wasn't a sixth sense warning him of danger or anything like that. But the tactician part of him was seeing something that just didn't add up.

                It had gnawed at his thoughts since then, the past fifteen minutes as the walked. He kept looking at the surroundings, trying to puzzle it out. Right now, they were headed down another heavily decorated street. The bright blue sun shone down on the people as the moved about in colorful robes, laughing and talking. 

Leena had changed her clothes into a different set of robes, more subdued and similar to the ones the people wore on the streets. As she explained, the simple red and blue designs she had on now would attract far less attention than her gold outfit. Personally, Jamie wasn't sure the citizens would have noticed. They certainly didn't look twice at himself, Brad, or the Doc, and they weren't even wearing robes.

                The people bugged him too. Virtually everything in the city, from the statues up bothered him for some reason. He just couldn't place it.

                The there was Leena herself. He still got the feeling she was holding something back, but he didn't want to ask right now. She also seemed more chatty than usual, talking to Brad constantly as they passed through the streets.

                Neither Brad nor the Doc appeared to notice either of Jamie's concerns. They just walked on, the Doc peppering the Guide with questions, Brad conversing with Leena.

                Jamie looked around the city again, frowning in concentration. What _was_ it about this place that-

                "…okay with you?"

                He blinked as he realized Brad was talking to him. With an effort, he dragged himself out of his own thoughts. "Uh, sorry, I wasn't listening. What was that?"

                "I said, Leena said she wanted to show me something alone," Brad repeated. "She won't say what. Do you mind if I see what she's being so secretive about?"

                "Uh, I guess not," Jamie said hesitantly. "You'll be back at the dome in time, right?"

                "Sure."

                "And Doc's okay with it?"

                "Yep."

                Jamie frowned. "Then yeah, I guess it's okay to split up. Just…"

                "What is it?"

                Jamie looked around and leaned closer. "Just be careful, okay? Something about this whole city feels… wrong."

                Brad shrugged. "Okay. But I don't think there's anything to worry about. Even back home, I've never seen such a peaceful place." Then he and Leena were both gone.

                Jamie started following the Doc and Guide again, returning to his musings. He didn't understand what was nagging him, why this city bothered him. It was just like Brad said, the whole thing was just about the most peaceful place they'd ever-

                Peaceful.

                _Peaceful?!_

                Jamie looked around, realization bursting on him so fast it made his head spin. This place _was_ peaceful- remarkably so for a place that had been at war for thousands of years.

                "Hey, Doc!" Jamie yelled, sprinting next to him. "Tell me something real quick, I've sort of been zoning. Did you notice any warehouses or factories since we've been touring?"

                The Doc looked slightly puzzled at the question, but considered it carefully. "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

                "It seems strange to me," Jamie said, still looking around. "I mean, this city, these people, have been at war since the start of their recorded history. But this society doesn't look or act like that at all." He waved a hand around them. "Look- museums, restaurants, theaters, carvings- would you really expect such a frivolous waste of materials like that in time of war?"

                "Not with resources as tight as Myth says they are," the Doc agreed. He, too, was looking at the city with new eyes. "And like you pointed out, there's also no industry. No factories, no power plants, no nothing. Also very odd for a nation at war." He turned to the little machine, still yammering away about the sculpture adorning the streets. "Guide?"

                "Yes, distinguished guest?" the Guide whirred in a pleasant tone. 

                "Where are all the trappings of war?"

                The Guide hesitated. There was a sudden buzz from somewhere inside it, then it piped up, "I'm sorry, but all inquiries pertaining to wartime industry are restricted for security reasons. Would you like to hear about the Great Concert hall of the 8th Scion? Constructed approximately-"

                "No," Jamie said firmly. "So inquiries are blocked."

                "Pertaining to Southern war efforts, yes."

                "So you _do_ have industry, then?" Jamie asked. "I mean, why restrict access to information about it if you didn't have any?"

                The Guide paused again, buzzed once more, and repeated, "I'm sorry, but all inquiries pertaining to wartime industry are restricted for security reasons. Would you prefer to visit the National History Museum?"

                "No," Jamie said, sighing. "We're not gonna solve this mystery here, Doc. That frisbee can't or won't tell us anything."

                "True," the Doc mused, "but maybe we _can_ learn something from this history museum." He looked at the Guide. "Please take us to the National Museum."

                "At once, sir," the Guide piped. "Right this way, sir." It floated down the street, the Doc following after.

                Jamie frowned and headed the same way. "Why do I have the feeling things are about to get really messy again?"

                                                                                                * * *

                "So where is it we're headed?" Brad asked Leena. "And what made you think Doc and Jamie wouldn't want to see it?"

                "It's a little different than I told you," Leena admitted. "I just have something to discuss with you before I told them."

                "Okay…" Brad said slowly. "So we're alone. What is it?"

                "Not on the street," Leena said tersely. "Too many people around. There's a hotel up ahead, we can talk there."

                Brad raised an eyebrow. "Worried about spies now?"

"Something like that."

He gave her a long look, then glanced at the hotel ahead. "I hope you don't expect me to pay. I somehow doubt my credit will do us much good here."

"Don't worry about it," Leena replied, laughing. "I've got it covered."

The hotel was another magnificent building. It stood at least four stories high with every inch covered in the intricate carvings that seemed to decorate every inch of the city. As he was also learning to expect, the doors were flanked by more organoid statues. Brad gave them a sideways look on the way in. _Expertly carved as usual. But you'd think they'd put a little more variety into their work._

Brad checked out the lobby as Leena strolled up to the front desk. _Plush. I wonder what a place like this would cost back on Zi?_

"Brad!" Leena called, waving him over. "All set!"

"Okay." Taking another look around, he followed after Leena.

                Given the state of the hotel itself, Brad expected a fancy room. But what Leena opened the door to exceeded even his most dramatic expectations.

                The room was so large, a small house could have fit into it. Massive windows circled the room, giving an incredible view of the city. The ceiling was the same way, showing the endless red-green sky. Every piece of furniture was overstuffed and covered with the softest material Brad had ever felt. 

                "Really something, isn't it?" Leena asked, grinning broadly. "It'd cost at _least_ the prize money from one S class battle to afford a single night here back on Zi." She looked coyly at him. "Impressed?"

                "That doesn't begin to describe it," he replied, still a little awed. Then he turned back to her. "What kind of connections did you make here?"

                "Some really good ones," Leena told him, her playfulness dropping away. "That's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you. But the first thing is…" she shifted, suddenly becoming very abashed. "I wanted to apologize for hitting you on the Hovercargo."

                Brad had to think back before he recalled what she was talking about. "You mean after the battleship incident?"

                Leena nodded. "Yeah. I was wrong to do that. You probably saved our lives, and I hurt you for it."

                "It was understandable," Brad said easily. "You'd never killed before- it was hard to accept." He plopped into one of the chairs. "So what else was there?"

                She took a deep breath and sat down next to him. "I've decided something pretty important, and I'd like you to be a part of it."

                Brad raised an eyebrow. "Really? And just what is this momentous descion?"

                "I'm staying here."

                Total silence filled the room for a solid minute. Then, Brad said, "You're staying? Is that what I heard?"

                "Yes," Leena said. "Anyone else who wants to leave can, but I'm staying here." She looked at him very seriously. "And I'd like you to stay with me."

                Brad scoffed. "You're joking, right? Why would I _want _to do that?"

                "Because of what I've found here," Leena replied seriously. "You want to know what kind of connections I made here? The best. Goldy's much more than we ever imagined. She's the spiritual leader of this entire nation, and the entire government answers to _her._" She leaned forward. "And now, to _me_."

                Brad straightened. "What? Why?"

                "Goldy has taken me as what they call a _Custarik,_" Leena explained. "From what I gather, it's like a liaison to certain people, but the position holds almost as much sway as Goldy herself."

                "So what you're telling me," Brad said slowly, "is that you're now an important government official of a nation at war?"

                "Church official," Leena corrected, "but the church runs the government."

                "And you want me to stay here with you as… what? A companion?" Brad asked suspiciously.

                Leena smiled coyly. "I wouldn't mind, if that's what you're asking." Then she suddenly became very serious. "But I actually had a more practical purpose in mind. How would you feel about becoming a general?"

                Brad frowned. "What are you getting at, Leena?"

                "This world is at a turning point," she said animatedly. "The war that has been going on for so long is about to end, and it will be the Southern Empire that wins it."

                "With what?" Brad retorted. "A fleet of those little APCs that brought us into the city? They aren't even armed."

                "You're right," Leena said. "Those things aren't enough to end this war."

                "So what are you talking ab-" he broke off suddenly. "No. You can't be serious."

                She grinned at him. "I knew you'd realize it quickly enough."

                Brad stared at her in disbelief. "_Tell_ me you're joking. You're not seriously going to use zoids here."

                Leena smiled- this time, in a very dark way. "Of course I am. And I want you to lead our armies."

                Dead silence filled the room for what felt like a very long time. Finally, Brad said, "You're really not kidding about this. You want to use our zoids here."

                "Of course I do," Leena said eagerly. "Think about it!" She leaned forward, excitement etched into her face. "We can make a   real difference here, Brad! We can end millennia of war and bloodshed! Bring peace to an _entire world_!"

                "Or destroy it," Brad said grimly. 

                She blinked. "What?"

                "A few hours ago, I was ready to abandon our units here if it meant we could get back to Zi that much quicker. But that didn't mean I didn't think it was a bad idea. It just meant I didn't care if it was."

Brad stood and looked out the window. "This world can't handle such advanced weapons, Leena. They can barely handle the weapons they've _got_."

                She frowned at him. "That's a rather immature evaluation of them…"

                "No, it's not, Leena. It's the truth." He turned back to face her, leaning against the window. "The people have been at war for all their recorded history. Not a war every fifty or hundred years with peace in between, but constant, unending war, for _six thousand years._ I'm amazed they haven't wiped each other out yet, to be honest."

                "But that's why we're needed here!" Leena said, jumping off the couch and moving over to him. "With the South in control of an army of zoids, especially with an intelligent commanding officer, we could rule the world in months!"

                "I doubt you can even get to that stage," Brad said thought fully.

                "Meaning?"

                "I've managed to pick up a few pieces of information while I've been around," Brad said carefully. "From what I hear, the nations on this world are pretty strapped for fighters and resources. We don't have the supplies to build an army the size we'd need."

                Leena smiled cunningly. "That's where you're most wrong of all." She tuned to the window and waved a hand, motioning to the city. "Unlike the other nations of the world, the South hasn't wasted its resources on costly offensive weaponry. Instead, we've chosen to dig in, and wait until our enemies destroyed each other." She turned back to Brad. "The result is a huge stockpile of materials, all ready and waiting to be used when the time was right. And _now_ is that time."

                "And pilots?"

                "That _will_ take a little longer," Leena conceded, "but not _too _long. Early estimates show that we could have a force of fifty pilots for Gojulas, Pteras, Command Wolf, and Rev Raptors ready within four months."

                "I don't think that'll cut it," Brad said doubtfully. "Only fifty zoids to take on a whole planet? They'd all have to be-" 

                "No, Brad. Fifty pilots for each type of zoid. A starting total of two hundred pilots and zoids, ready for combat in _months_." She leaned towards him. "All at _your_ command."

                "I'm still not-"

"And it would only grow from there!" Leena exulted, putting her face close to his. "In another four months, another two hundred fighters and units! Wave after wave of machines unstoppable on this world! You would have direct command of the most powerful military in the world! And," she said, calming down and pressing against him, "a… _friend…_ in a very high place."

Brad did his best to look calm. It wasn't easy, but he did fairly well, considering he had what seemed like a very amorous young woman in his face. _Don't let her see you sweat, Brad. This is _not _the Leena you know._ He took a subtle breath and looked her in the eyes. "One thing, Leena. Where are you getting the design specs for the zoids you're planning on building?"

"That's easy," Leena said confidently. "You remember how Goldy chased Bit all over Zi, merging with different zoids the whole time?"

"Kinda hard to forget."

"As it turns out, she retained the design specs for each zoid she used. All we had to do was hook her into a computer and download the information," she explained.

Brad raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?"

"Sure. She's a living creature, but she's also mechanized. It wasn't hard to do." 

                "So you're telling me all you had to do was plug her brain into a jack, start a download, and you got the schematics for half a dozen different types of zoids?"

                Leena frowned slightly. "It's a little more complicated than that, but yes, basically."

                "And now you're building them."

                "As we speak." An almost evil smile crept onto her face. "They're being built

at an incredible rate, right under the city itself."

                "Under it?" Brad asked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

                "Just what I said. Buried underneath the city is the South's weapon producing

facility. It's a massive factory, and it's been working on churning out zoids as

fast as it can." Her expression turned almost plaintive. "Now do you see what

I'm talking about? We can _do_ this, Brad. We can rule this world, the way it was

_meant_ to be ruled."

                _I get it, alright. Something happened, and you've slipped a gear._ Out loud, he

said, "I understand, Leena. And I'm in."

                Her eyes widened. "Really?"

                "You bet. This planet could be home. It'll just take some getting used to." He

glanced at his watch. "Come on. It's almost time to meet the Doc and Jaime."

                "Then let's get going," Leena said, almost bouncing with excitement. "You won't

regret this, Brad. Between the two of us, we'll be the most powerful humans

around." She took his hand affectionately. "And I'm sure we'll make each other

very… happy."

                                                * * *

                Myth looked at Bit in disbelief. "You're joking, right? That is your brilliant

plan?"

                "I never said was brilliant," Bit pointed out defensively. "I just said it was

pretty much our only shot."

                _It is insane_, Naru hissed bluntly. _The combined might of the three other_

_nations could not do what you are suggesting, even if they worked together. What_

_makes you believe that you, alone, have any chance at all of success?_

                "Because I'm not the other three nations," Bit replied. "And as tough as the

South's defense are, they've never faced anything like the Liger before." He

grinned. "And they've never faced a pilot like me before."

                Naru looked subtly towards Myth. _Cocky, isn't he?_

                _Perhaps. But to be truthful, he reminds me of myself at younger age,_ Myth sent

back. _I think he might actually be able to do this._ He focused on Bit. "Fine,

then. We'll move into position. How much distance do you want between us?"

                "Give me about two hundred yards," Bit said thoughtfully. "Until we really get

the range of these autoguns pinned down, it's not safer for you to get any

closer until I've destroyed them." He headed for the bridge door. "I'll get the

Schneider prepped for launch."

                Myth started playing his hands over the Hovercargo controls, maneuvering it

towards the South's defense line. "You be careful out there. I still say getting

close to enough to trigger the guns, then trying to cut them down before they

can hit you is totally psychotic."

                "Probably," Bit admitted cheerfully. "But I haven't done anything sane on this

planet yet, and I'm still here. I must be doing _something_ right."

                "Let's hope so," Myth muttered as Bit left. "Or we'll go down in history as the

fools who let the South get the weapons it needed to win the war once and for all."

                                                * * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, folks, it's finally up! After a waaayyy longer time than I wanted, _Divided_ is back in business! I want to thank everyone who asked me to keep writing, either in the reviews section or by direct e-mail. I also want to thank you all for coming back after so long a hiatus; I really do write this for you devoted fans out there (and maybe a little for myself too). As for the next installment, look for it in a few weeks- lots of action, explosions, and excitement! See you in about two weeks, I hope!_


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